


The Parts They Leave Out Of The Stories

by FlaxenHairedSamurai



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Angst, Female Luminary, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Slice of Life, Sylvando is Best Dad, Team as Family, all good things, spoilers for the whole game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 47
Words: 106,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21662239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlaxenHairedSamurai/pseuds/FlaxenHairedSamurai
Summary: The world needs heroes. What it gets is a ragtag bunch of misfits trying to save the world while avoiding the long arm of the law, dealing with pests and wondering why being the Luminary couldn't have come with an instruction manual.ORStories centred around an Alternate Universe where the Luminary was born female rather than male, focusing on the party as they travel around Erdrea, in the hopes of defeating Mordegon.
Comments: 163
Kudos: 173





	1. Brotherly Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Luminary's unprepared for how cruel the world can be, even to its heroes, Erik soon learns that finding forgiveness may mean digging up instincts he thought he'd lost.

Even though the Vikings hadn’t been big on bedtime stories, Erik had heard enough tales of the Luminary, even before meeting the Seer. The rare times he had gotten to see a picture or statue of the fabled hero, it had always matched with his mental image: A muscular man wielding a magic sword and fighting back the darkness.

The Luminary he dug out of Heliodor’s dungeon was the opposite of that description in every way possible.

Erik knew that somewhere along their trek through the sewers, his brain must’ve twigged that the slim, soft spoken boy he had guided through the dark was actually a girl, but it wasn’t until after they’d jumped off a cliff and he was pulling her out of the river that he had a few seconds to take it in. Even then it had to wait until he’d delivered her to the old nun before he could finally sit down and say “Huh.”

Outwardly, nothing had changed. They were still going to be hunted, he needed to get back into Heliodor and find the orb, and she needed to get back to Cobblestone to check on her family. Most importantly, he would still follow the Luminary to the ends of the world if it meant he’d be forgiven.

_Ellie._ He heard it as easily as he had when she’d told him up on the cliff. _My name’s Ellie._

And there was the problem. The Lumin- _Ellie,_ looked barely older than Mia was. She still had traces of baby fat in her cheeks and an innocent sparkle to her eyes that in his line of work, he hadn’t seen in a long while. Heck, it had been a while since he’d seen it outside his line of work.

_Of course_ she was the Darkspawn come to destroy them all. There was no _possible_ way that Ellie could be anything but an evil mastermind, marching into the castle to meet the king and show him the mark on her hand. _Clearly_ she was a monster of the worst imagining, and Erik would do well to leave her to the mercy of Hendrik and Jasper, shortly before he threw himself at the roots of Yggdrasil and begged her forgiveness for releasing such a fiend on the world.

Erik shook his head, unable to understand the king’s reasoning. Ellie wasn’t dangerous, she was just a kid. And even if she was this Darkspawn, surely the worst thing he could do was lock her away in the dark and let her be forgotten about until that naïve hope turned into a desire for revenge?

Something stunk about the entire situation, but there wasn’t much Erik could do sat on a church pew. As soon as Ellie woke up, they’d get moving again. With his hood hiding his hair, nobody would look twice at him, but the guards would be on the lookout for Ellie by now. He needed to find her a cloak or something, maybe even some gloves to hide her birthmark… Calmed by the familiar feeling of planning ahead, Erik leaned back on the bench, falling asleep before he caught himself.

* * *

There wasn’t much Erik could say when they finally got to Cobblestone. He’d only gotten more uneasy as they’d gotten closer and he couldn’t hear any of the sounds he usually associated with small villages. Ellie had mentioned it was tucked away, and at first he was happy to blame the lack of sound on all the rocks surrounding the place.

Then they turned the last corner and he saw the cannon. Erik had stopped dead, keeping his eyes on it like it would disappear, but Ellie had carried on walking, keeping up her stream of chatter. He closed his eyes, waiting for the scream that he knew had to be coming, but it never came. When he opened them again, Ellie was almost out of sight, moving from spot to spot with a confused expression on her face that only got deeper, before she suddenly bolted, and Erik was forced to run after her.

He was left standing awkwardly by a huge tree that had somehow survived the onslaught, staring around at all the wrecked buildings and searching for a flash of purple that would tell him where she had vanished to. He didn’t know whether to pick a direction and hope for the best, or stay where he was, and hope Ellie came back. Neither particularly appealed, given that it meant staying here and trying to keep the thought of what had happened at bay.

Not for the first time in his life he cursed Jasper, knowing full well that the knight wouldn’t have been conflicted in the slightest about attacking a village of innocent people out of fear of an innocent girl.

Trapped by indecision, he was relieved when Ellie stumbled up the path towards him. Her eyes seemed to see right through him, and while that could’ve been blamed on the shock, Erik got the feeling that it meant something else here, especially when he saw a faint glow coming from under one of the gloves she was wearing.

He’d never heard of the first Luminary phasing out like this, but since this was now the second time it had happened, Erik planted himself in her path, and as the haze started to clear from her eyes, planted his hands on her shoulders and made sure that she could only see him and the tree, not any of the surrounding rubble, “Are you okay? Did you have another vision?”

“I saw…” Ellie blinked a few times, “I saw me and Gemma when we were little, and my Grandad. But he died years ago.”

“Must’ve been good to see him then.” Erik had no idea what he was trying for here, but Ellie just nodded, not fighting his grip.

“It was. I told him about King Carnelian, and about the dungeon. He was sorry for getting me into that situation, but then he told me to go to Cobblestone Falls, because he was going to leave me something there. It was really-“ She cut herself off, eyes caught on something she could see over Erik’s shoulder.

He didn’t fight when she pushed his hands off her and started looking around. She seemed to take it all in at a glance, and as understanding set in, that rare sparkle in her eyes dimmed until it died. Her breath started coming in short bursts, tears forming but not falling. Erik waited for her to make a sound or scream, but nothing came. She just started walking away, with slow, shaky steps, and with nothing else he could do, Erik followed, wishing he knew what to do.

They came to a halt in front of one of the buildings. It didn’t look much different from the others, but something in the way Ellie pushed on the door instead of climbing through the gaping hole in the wall told him everything.

He cursed Jasper again, throwing in a few towards the king and Hendrik too when he saw Ellie start to crumple, clinging to the remains of a dresser. She was murmuring names under her breath like a prayer, and with each one the tears built higher until they finally fell, and the words were swapped with a horrifying scream that was all too familiar to him and seemed to have no end.

He moved without thinking, and even though Ellie fought him this time, he held on, running a hand through her hair like he used to do for Mia after a nightmare. After a while he started to rock with her too, murmuring all the reassurances that he thought he’d left in that cave, and though it took some time, Ellie let the dresser go and grabbed his arm instead.

When she did that, Erik adjusted their position, starting to stand up with her. It felt heartless, pulling her away when she still needed to grieve, but the side of him that was more thief than big brother knew that while they had a head start, Hendrik and Jasper had to know they’d come here. If Erik had any ideas about pleaded for mercy, they’d been killed when he’d first seen that cannon. They needed to move, and they needed to move now.

Ellie seemed to understand this when he whispered it to her, but she still kept her eyes closed as they walked back through the wreckage, pointing him in the direction they needed to go to get to the Falls, and half-heartedly reminding him the Kingsbarrow was there too.

“Two birds, one stone.” She murmured, trying for a giggle and failing miserably.

* * *

Hendrik caught up with them just as they were about to get away because of course he did. They weren’t allowed a few seconds to breathe or try to guess where the Door of Departure was going to drop them off, just run to a few horses left by the campsite and hope they’d be able to outrun that beast Hendrik tried to pass off as a normal horse as well as the other soldiers.

Then they started firing crossbows, and Erik really started to hate his life. He’d had a few arrow wounds in his life and whether it was just the principle of the thing or because Derk was a lousy medic, he had no interest in getting any more and the idea of pulling bolts out of Ellie is even less appealing.

But Hendrik clearly had other ideas, or his men terrible aim, because when they finally hit something, it’s Ellie’s horse rather than her back, with the result that she still goes flying to the ground with a yell. Erik was only slightly relieved that no more bolts were shot as she struggled to sit up, but the fact that they want her alive still isn’t exactly comforting, and the threat of what it meant leant Erik a little more skill at turning his own horse around and charging straight for her.

For a few seconds her eyes were on the approaching Hendrik, but when Erik shouted and started leaning out of the saddle, she turned back to him, stretching out her hand at his instruction. Just like before it was too familiar, and for the briefest second, Erik wasn’t looking at the Luminary, or the Princess of Dundrasil. It wasn’t even Ellie.

He pushed the thought of Mia away (He was going to help her, he just had to survive this first) and focused, and he was rewarded by Ellie’s fingers wrapping around his, letting him yank her off the ground and onto the saddle behind him. Hendrik was just inches behind them now, and Erik could hear the crossbows getting pulled out again. He didn’t care.

Ellie’s breathing was short and sharp again, but it was there. He hadn’t failed like he had before.

And he wouldn’t fail again.


	2. Twin Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The way Father Benedictus told it, the hardest work would be finding the Luminary. He never mentioned how hard it would be to make her trust them.

Once they had explained their purpose in leaving their home in Arboria and looking for the Luminary, Serena had noticed a brief expression of fear on Ellie’s face before it had been chased away with a nervous smile. She knew by the way Veronica had frowned that her sister had seen it to, but neither of them knew how to approach Ellie about it without seeming nosy or confrontational. 

There wasn’t much time to think about it though. First, they had to get all of Jarvis’ prisoners safely back to Hotto, and then after they had reunited Noah with his daughter, they’d all agreed that the bathhouse had better be their next destination. In the heat of the baths, Ellie had been about five seconds from falling asleep the entire time, which ruled out any possibility of questioning her. 

That, and Serena didn’t feel comfortable asking about it just yet. She and Veronica were still very much strangers to the younger girl, sworn to protect her as they were, and perhaps with a little time, the reason behind that fear would become clear.

* * *

Thanks to a mixture of waking up late, stocking up on supplies and a few overly aggressive monsters outside the village, they were still on the Steppe when it became clear that they’d better make camp for the night. The border between Hotto and Gallopolis wasn’t that far from the camp, and they were almost guaranteed an early start. Crossing the desert would be a hard journey, but Serena was certain they’d be able to manage it. 

They set up the camp without much conversation, rolling out their bedrolls and poking the fire into life (making sure Veronica didn’t lose her patience and let loose a spell) before putting their dinner over it. With everything set up, and Erik watching the stew with a beady eye betraying his hunger, Serena was struggling to think of something to say to break the silence, only for Ellie to creep up to where she was sitting. Having spent the last few minutes setting up what looked like a combination of a forge and alchemy pot, the Luminary now had her sleeves rolled up, and her hair tied in a hasty ponytail. 

“I was wondering if I could borrow your and Veronica’s staffs for a little bit?” 

Given that her wand and Veronica’s staff had been leaving gifts from their friends and family, Serena couldn’t help but worry over what Ellie wanted them for, even placing a hand over her wand as if protecting it. Veronica, not so concerned with hiding her opinion on anything, simply held onto hers for dear life, “Why?” She asked in a slow, suspicious drawl. 

Ellie blinked, and for a second, Serena saw that fear again. Then just as before it was gone, “I was hoping to see if I could enhance them on the forge. Even if I can’t, I promise they won’t be altered or damaged in any way.” 

Sharing a look with her sister, Serena slowly began removing her hand, only for Erik for add his own thoughts, “You should let her. Ellie’s kept our gear in working order since I gave her the forge, and she’s not half bad at it.” As proof, he pulled out his dagger, and now that she could get a good luck at it, Serena could see that even though the weapon itself was old, the edge was still as sharp as it must’ve been when it was first made. “Yep, this thing could barely take down a slime when I first got it, but now look at it!” 

His testimony to Ellie’s skill was cut short by a large hiss from the pot. While Erik saw to saving heir supper, it was surprisingly Veronica who held out her staff first. “Go on then, see what you can do with this before you work on Serena’s wand.”

Ellie took the staff with careful hands, keeping her touch light as she nodded and went back to the forge with it. Such care wasn’t needed given the wood is was made from was the hardiest that could be found near Arboria, but there was still something reverent about how Ellie set it on her forge before pouring a handful of something into the pot. 

As she considered where to strike with her hammer first, Serena intended to carry on watching, but a sharp tug on her sleeve put paid to that. “What is it?” 

Veronica sent a quick glance over to Erik, making sure he was still wrapped up with the food before whispering, “I think Ellie’s scared of us.” 

“Of us? But why?” A shrug was all the answer she got, which was honestly more than Serena had been expecting in the first place. 

Serena mulled the matter over up until it was time to go to bed. By then, Veronica’s staff had been returned to her, looking unchanged, but radiating with a little more power, and her wand had received the same treatment. Ellie had been about to start work on something else, but was convinced to leave it until the next night, and settled into the bedroll next to Erik’s. 

Veronica was the next one to fall asleep, which might’ve had something to do with her new body, leaving just Serena and Erik around the fire. Unsure quite how to approach him with her concerns, Serena was content to leave it alone, so she was surprised when Erik let out a low sigh. “Ellie’s not scared of you.” Alarmed at being overheard, Serena ducked his gaze. “Don’t worry, you weren’t being that loud. I’m just better at eavesdropping.”

“You and she are very close.” Serena answered, trying not to feel jealous. It only made sense that the Luminary would be more comfortable around an old friend than two strangers who suddenly threw themselves at her feet. She had no doubt that such closeness would develop in time, at least, she hoped so. 

Another stick went on the fire, Erik leaning back again, “I guess so. Ellie just lived in a small village for most of her life, and until a few weeks ago, she didn’t know she was the Luminary.” A strange expression came over his face, a mix of sorrow and barely supressed rage. Another story that she would have to wait for. “She wasn’t raised on this hero stuff like you and Veronica were. Just give her time.” 

Serena didn’t know what she could say other than to promise that she would, knowing that she would have a lot to talk about with Veronica. Satisfied with that, Erik bid her goodnight, and went to his own bed.

* * *

The next morning, Serena was woken by the unmistakable sound of a hammer clanking against metal, and Veronica arguing that they wouldn’t be going anywhere until she got a proper breakfast. Erik was trying to convince her that a bowl of porridge was all they had time for, with Ellie occasionally chiming in when it looked like it was starting to calm down.

It was a similar trick to one Veronica used to use when they were trying to avoid their parents from noticing it was past their bedtime, and seeing it turned on her sister brought a grin to Serena’s face.

Ellie threw a smirk over her shoulder between hammer strikes, and shy as it was, there was no sign of her previous fear or nervousness. 

Time, that’s all they needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find the twins amazingly difficult to write, so hopefully this one came out alright.


	3. A Day at the Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for the Rainbough brings the party to Gallopolis, where Ellie finds friends in everything with four legs, and complications in everything with two.

Cobblestone was (had) always proud of the horses they bred, but Ellie had never seen somewhere that worshipped horses as much as Gallopolis did. They were everywhere, but it was the ones roaming the streets on patrol that had Ellie’s attention, because to her joy, every single one of them was happy to let her fuss over them for a little while.

When the latest recipient for her affection had to leave and finish his route, Ellie let him go with a wave, before moving to where Erik were waiting for her. “You really love horses huh?” Erik remarked, looking more amused than annoyed that this was the fourth time they’d had to stop. The twins had gone on ahead to find an inn for them to stay at, and then to do some shopping, but Erik had stuck around so she wouldn’t get lost on her own. It also helped that Ellie's sixth sense for horses extended to the point where she'd helped him avoid the worst parcels left on the street, something that not many tourists to Gallopolis could boast.

Ellie shrugged helplessly, “I can’t help it. Most of the horses in Cobblestone and Heliodor were bred just for their strength, but there’s so many here and they're all so- Oh!”

“And she’s off again.” Erik snickered, but Ellie ignored him, too busy approaching her next target (or victim, depending on who you asked). Outside the huge tent that was supposed to house one of the world’s most famous circuses was an absolutely gorgeous horse. Her coat was almost pure white, and was so well brushed Ellie thought she could see the love in every stroke.

Her rider was nowhere to be seen, which was probably just as well, since Ellie had a few questions about all the feathers the mare had been decorated with. Granted they turned the saddle into a kind of throne, but the shade of pink they’d chosen verged on eye searing. Moving slowly closer so she wouldn’t spook her, Ellie held out her hand for the horse to sniff, and when found acceptable, began to scratch her in the joint between her neck and head.

“You,” Ellie stated after a while, “Are the best-looking horse in the city.”

“I’m glad you think so, sweetie!” It took her a second to realise it hadn’t been the horse who’d spoken, but Ellie’s hand still shot away. She looked around for Erik, wondering why he hadn’t warned her, and found him over by the ticket stand, talking to the woman on the counter.

But the man who’d approached her was wearing a friendly smile, and his clothes indicated he was with the circus too. Like she’d just been doing, he began fussing over the horse, smile never wavering. “You needn’t look so worried; I’m not going to stop you giving Margarita the attention she deserves.”

Still wary of being chased off, Ellie slowly returned to her previous position, nerves flying out the window when Margarita moved to sniff and play with her hair. Giggling, she gently nudged the horse away, and when she was released, turned and offered her hand out to the stranger, “My name’s Ellie. Me and my friends are staying here for a while.”

The man took her offered hand, but rather than shaking it, he planted a very chaste kiss on the back of it, “A pleasure. You’ve already met Margarita, and I am Sylvando, performer extraordinaire!” Having not expected that, Ellie could only be relieved that she’d given him her right hand rather than her marked one. “Will you be attending any of the shows while you’re here?”

“I hope so.” Ellie nodded, suddenly determined that they wouldn’t leave Gallopolis without seeing the circus at least once.

* * *

She got her wish, but it was hard to concentrate on the show, even after the prince had left them to enjoy it. Sylvando’s juggling had given way to a few tricks involving Margarita, but Ellie’s mind was on the task they now had. Or rather, the task Erik now had.

“But you can’t!”

“Come on, how hard could it be?”

Annoyed at how flippant he was being, Ellie gave him a sharp dig in the ribs. Horse racing was dangerous enough when it was just a few novice riders mucking around on grass, and Ellie had seen the injuries to prove it. She had no doubts that professional horse racing was either going to be more of the same, or a lot worse.

Images of Erik flying off after a jump or being trampled when he took a corner wrong filled her head, and no amount of shaking would budge them. “There has to be something else we can do.”

“Short of breaking into the palace treasury, which I’ve been told I’m not allowed to do,” He fixed Veronica with a look before carrying on, “No.”

“We’re not starting the Luminary’s quest with you ending up in prison.” Veronica huffed, unaware just how late it was to be worried about that kind of thing. Erik and Ellie briefly put their argument aside to silently ask each other if it was worth correcting that oversight, and quickly decided it wasn’t. 

Waving away her concerns, Erik settled back in his seat, “Besides, if you’re worried about me getting hurt, they’re hardly about to hurt their precious prince, are they?”

“At that speed it’s impossible to know who’s who.” Ellie pointed out, before giving up. It was obvious that they didn’t have any choice, and Erik was the kind of person that, having been told he couldn’t do something, was only more determined to do it. She should just sit back and watch the show.

That's what she tried to do anyway, but watching Sylvando going around the ring, perfectly in sync with Margarita’s movements only made her think of Tintin, the horse she’d ridden out of Cobblestone with. She’d left him at the Heliodor stables before going up to the castle, and even though they’d found another horse to help them cross the desert, Ellie couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to him after her arrest.

Tintin would’ve loved it here, and were things better, Ellie might’ve entered him into a horse race, letting him test himself against more than a few slimes or sabrecats. Maybe he’d been given to some traveller who’d bring him here one day. Ellie doubted it, but it was a nice thought.

An idea suddenly took root in her mind. It probably wasn’t what the prince had in mind, but then beggars couldn’t be choosers, and he was very much a beggar in this context. And he had said that the armour would cover everything…

“We might have another choice.”

* * *

The idea only started another round of whispered arguing that turned to proper volume once they were outside the tent. Thankfully, the twins took Ellie’s side, and by the time they got back to the inn, the three of them had managed to convince Erik that it would be better for Ellie to be in the race than him. Amazingly he had tried every argument that Ellie had, but had eventually been worn down by Serena asking if he actually _wanted_ to be in the race.

The change in plans didn’t seem to faze Prince Faris in the slightest, but then Ellie wasn’t sure how much attention he was actually paying them. With Serena’s help she put on the armour and helmet, which were only slightly too big, and let Erik help her onto the horse supposed to take Faris to victory and glory. She waved to the few people in the stable yard, feeling like that’s what royalty did, and took several deep breaths before going onto the track proper.

It didn’t help that the horse was just as nervous as she was, but she could at least fix that much. While they waited for the Sultan to struggle through his speech, she leant forwards and scratched just like she had for every other horse in the city. “It’s alright boy, it’ll be over soon.” She said as loud as she dared to, laughing quietly when he tossed his head at her.

The crowd’s cheers wiped away the last of her nerves, but her moment of fame was soon punctured by a familiar voice. “It must be wonderful to be so popular, darling.”

Just as Ellie feared, it was Sylvando, leading Margarita to the starting line as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be there. Once he was right next to them, he leant over to speak in a quieter tone, “But of course, you are used to it, being a real, live prince, hm?”

Oblivious to the horrified expression Ellie had under the helmet, Sylvando reintroduced himself, and promised that just because she was royalty (technically true), he wasn’t going to go easy on her. With no choice but to incline her head, Ellie gripped her reins tightly, and prayed that the race would be over soon.

It was, and even though she and her horse started out strong, on the last lap they were overtaken by a storm of pink feathers. They did their best to reclaim their lead, flying around corners with the same recklessness she’d been worried about Erik using, and taking jumps with no care whatsoever, but the result was the same. It was a classic dark horse victory, and the crowd showed their appreciation by cheering both for the actual winner, and the prince who had put on such a good show for them.

* * *

At least, that was how Faris saw it, and as long as he carried through with his promise to get them the Rainbough, Ellie was happy to let him believe anything. He came back from basking in the love of his people, and joined her in the royal dressing room, and to Ellie’s surprise, embraced her. “Thank you! You have spared me great humiliation!” Realising Ellie had frozen in shock, the prince pulled away, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, “Heh heh! I will go immediately to my father and ask about the Rainbough—”

Naturally that was when the door swung open, Sylvando charging in before either of them had a chance to hide. His eyes took in Ellie’s panicked expression and the armour she was wearing, before running a critical eye over Faris. For a split second, Ellie thought she could see a knowing smirk on his face, but then it vanished into shock and false horror.

“Wait— Don't tell me you were—!?” He released a large gasp. “Surely you didn't let your understudy take the stage for the command performance!? Oh, this is too, too good!”

Ellie was beginning to wish she’d let Erik have the job after all.


	4. Desert Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even in the middle of a desert spanning monster hunt, Sylvando refuses to let someone stay miserable when he can do something to fix it. He'll just need his other skillset this time around.

Around halfway into their little desert jaunt, Sylvando got the impression that he should’ve spilled the beans to the Sultan after all. Ducking out of an important horse race was one thing, but now that innocent people were being put at risk, Faris was on his last chance. His only saving grace was that the boy had enough brains to bring backup, and Sylvando had been pleasantly surprised to see that Ellie and her friends were able to handle themselves against monsters. They could actually stand a chance against the Slayer.

First though they had to actually find the beast, and that was tomorrow’s problem. For now, he simply dozed in his spot between the two camps. Having travelled as much as he had, he didn’t have much issue falling asleep pretty much anywhere and the sand wasn’t that bad compared to other mattresses he’d had.

There was another advantage all his travelling had afforded him, but it was knowledge he rarely had to use. Little things here and there that came from meeting a variety of people, but nothing too impressive, such as the fact that not everyone who had a nightmare thrashed around screaming. Some stayed perfectly silent, only to snap awake at the last second, and others still were a mixture, only releasing a soft whimper or short gasp every now or then.

Ellie, it seemed, fell into the in between.

A quick glance around said he was the only one who had heard. The other girls were snuggled close to each other, and Erik was half smothering himself with his pillow. Sylvando wouldn’t have been too surprised if they slept through the Slayer walking through the camp. Next to Erik though, Ellie had curled herself right up, occasionally shaking.

The question of what he should do was answered when a slight breeze stirred the embers of their campfire. Enough life was breathed into it that the resulting glow was reflected in Ellie’s narrowed eyes. She was awake, and trying to stay quiet, probably hoping she’d be able to go back to sleep without anyone noticing. Sadly for her, someone had noticed, and Sylvando wasn’t the type to leave anyone to cry alone.

The sand barely moved beneath his feet, and Ellie was far too distracted to notice him approach, sword in hand. He crouched next to her, and rested a hand on her shoulder, absorbing her flinch before speaking in a tone barely higher than a breath, “Grab your sword, and come with me.”

They went to the very edge of the camp, where the Goddess’ protection was weakest, but still strong enough to make monsters give them a wide berth. It was still too close to the others to risk a proper spar, but there were other ways to distract her. Ordering Ellie to draw her sword, Sylvando began circling her, examining her form. “You fight very well for your age, sweetie. Who taught you?”

“My granddad.” Ellie was gradually starting wake up properly now, enough to frown when he started moving her arms about, “What are you doing?”

Sylvando ignored her, moving onto her grip. Her form was good enough against monsters, but against a better trained foe, she was still easy pickings, “He was a warrior, then?”

“No, a treasure hunter I think.” Shifting her fingers where he told her to, Ellie seemed to shake the last of her tiredness away, “Seriously, what are you doing?”

“Teaching of course!” Sylvando answered cheerily, drawing his rapier. “I find the best way to get over a bad dream is to work until I’ve forgotten it.” That wasn’t strictly true, but it would be a bit much to ask her to tell him about her fears. With that option out, he was going to have to fall back to the other method he had learnt over the years.

Ellie blinked at him, but made no further argument, instead copying what he showed her. The techniques didn’t translate flawlessly between their different blades, but she put enough enthusiasm into it that it didn’t really matter. As they worked, he kept asking questions, careful not to ask too much in one go. Her grandfather seemed to be a safe topic, but when he tried moving to the rest of her family, a shadow began to fall over her eyes again, so he hastily switched tracks to telling her about his own travels.

It was impossible not to notice the mark on her left hand when he was constantly adjusting it, but Sylvando kept his mouth shut, surmising from the way Veronica had shut down his questions before that the Luminary was not a subject to discuss. Besides, Ellie had tensed when she’d first seen where his eyes were, and since the objective of this exercise was to make her relax, bringing it up was pointless.

After about an hour, Ellie’s movements started to slow and her attention began wandering, until Sylvando finally brought his rapier on top of her sword, “I’d say that’s enough for now, honey. We can’t stay up all night when there’s a big bad monster to slay, can we?”

“Not to mention a prince to keep safe.” She agreed, trying to smother a yawn and failing miserably. Getting her sword back into its sheath went just as smoothly, but they managed it between them, and soon he was leading her back to their portion of the camp. He stayed close until she had tucked herself in again before going back to his bedroll, trying not to sigh with relief when he saw his pillow. “Sylvando?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

Ellie had propped herself up, and whatever she was going to ask was obvious important, since she didn’t want to risk forgetting about it. “Where did you learn how to fight like that?”

Sylvando was proud to say that he only froze for about half a second, thawing far too quickly for the sleepy Luminary to possibly have noticed. At any rate, it bought him enough time to make sure his voice was under control, “Why, the same way your granddad did, at the school of hard knocks!”

Whether she believed him or not was hard to tell, since her head fell onto her pillow not a second later. Somehow, Sylvando couldn’t muster up any of the usual fear or paranoia that usually appeared, and he drifted off within moments, dreaming of long-ago lessons and a villa by the sand…

At least until the crack of dawn, when Prince Faris opened his eyes and called for everyone else to get up and get moving again. Last chance or not, Sylvando couldn’t wait for reality to catch up with the boy.

“That does it, I’m frizzing him.”

“Veronica, no!”

“He’s asking for it!”

“He really is.”

“Don’t you start, Erik! Ellie, please say something.”

Curious, Sylvando looked over to see what side she would take, and had to bite his lip to avoid laughing. Ellie had apparently woken up just enough to roll onto her stomach and hold her pillow over her ears, and her only answer to Serena’s request was a loud groan and a weak kick when Erik tried creeping closer.

He’d done his job _too_ well, it seemed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sylvando is a stage-hogging wonder and I love him for it. 
> 
> Next stop, Heliodor's finest knight.


	5. The Knight's Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hendrik muses about his mission and the steps he must take. On a not unrelated note, the party discuss a well known superstition.

The second he had gotten back to the castle; Hendrik began dispensing orders left, right and centre. Unlike others, he refused to let his failure consume him when the Darkspawn was walking free among the innocent people of Erdrea. Finding her was all that mattered, and if the only way to do that was to go back to the beginning, then he would do so.

From a few castle scholars they had learnt that there was another door like the one the Darkspawn and thief had vanished through on the Hotto Steppe. It was easy for them to guess that there was nothing in the area that would hold her attention for too long. No, she would be aiming to get as far away as possible, and that meant she’d have to stop in Gondolia.

Time was not on their side, but Jasper had gone anyway, taking with him their fastest horses and best men. They were better suited to turn the city into a trap, and Hendrik had full faith in them.

Because he knew how fickle mighty Yggdrasil could be, even with her most faithful, Hendrik had more than one plan in place. Soldiers had been dispatched all over, but he and a small force were heading straight for Dundrasil, to where it had all begun.

What drew him there, he had no idea. It was nothing but ruins now, and he didn’t know how aware the Darkspawn was of her true heritage. But King Carnelian had mentioned Dundrasil when inspecting the pendant she carried, and he supposed that if it were him in that position, he’d take any clue he could get as to his purpose.

If there was something buried in Dundrasil that would awaken her true power, something left behind the night of the massacre, Hendrik owed it to the victims of that night to see that she didn’t find it.

Breathing in the sea air, Hendrik sent a silent prayer for the winds to pick up. The boat they had chartered would get them to Zwaardrust quickly and from there it was only a short march to Dundrasil, but Hendrik had already heard whispers among the men. Rumours that the Darkspawn was nothing but an ordinary girl, a child really. Doubt was creeping through them like the worst rot, but Hendrik made no move to punish them for it, even though similar rumours may have been to blame for the lacklustre aim they had shown before.

(That being said, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved that both the Darkspawn and thief had survived. The thief still had years to pay for his actions, and the death of the Darkspawn might only postpone the issue, before another rose in her place.)

It was only logical that they had been taken in by her appearance. Had he not been aware of the danger she posed; he may have had a hard time believing the King’s claims that day in the throne room. But he _had_ seen the danger first-hand, and while he would admit to feeling sorry for the girl, thrust into a destiny she didn’t understand and probably didn’t even want, he would not allow it to colour his judgement.

No, they would catch the Darkspawn, either in Gondolia or in Dundrasil, and they would return her to Heliodor, where they could ensure that she would never do harm to anywhere or anyone else.

Idly, he wondered where she was now. Was she still free to bring ruin to the land, or had Jasper’s trap closed around her already, with the messenger bird halfway to his ship even now? It was impossible to know just yet, yet the question continued to niggle at him, long after the wind finally heard his prayer.

* * *

Ellie’s sneeze had enough of a kick that she took a step back, but it was nothing compared to the foot that was suddenly planted into her stomach. She barely heard the others shouting, or Sylvando apologising, instead holding the spot and groaning. Sylvando had agreed to her request to show her some more forms like he had in the desert, but he’d also started mixing in a bit of dirty fighting, just to keep her on her toes.

Serena was suddenly crouching over her, asking if she needed a healing spell, but it was Erik’s voice she concentrated on, even though it hurt to laugh, “Well done Sylv, you broke the Luminary. The world’s only hope against the Dark One, and you broke her.”

“Are you alright to sit up?” Serena asked, pulling Ellie’s arm when she nodded. “Perhaps that’s enough sparring for today?” Even though it was phrased as a suggestion, everyone knew it was anything but, and Ellie didn’t complain when Sylvando agreed. She just let Serena pull her the rest of the way up, and went back to the campfire.

Sylvando apologised again, and after she had accepted, put a finger to his chin in thought, “I wonder where that sneeze came from. You’re not allergic to anything are you?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Maybe someone’s thinking about you?” Veronica chimed from the other side of the fire. At Ellie’s confused silence, she set down the spell book she had been flicking through and shrugged, “In some parts of Erdrea, people say that when you sneeze out of nowhere, it’s because someone far away is thinking about you.”

Thinking about everyone far away from her with any reason to think about her made Ellie’s nose screw up. It wasn’t helped by Serena’s next addition of “I thought that was only if they were thinking about you in a romantic way?”

“You’re both right.” The twins blinked at Erik, who had retaken his position lying against the log pile, where he would probably stay until dinner was ready, or until Veronica told him how rude it was to sit with his back to them all night. “It depends how many times you sneeze. Twice, you’re being bad-mouthed, any more than that and you’ve got a secret admirer.”

“What does one sneeze mean then?” Veronica demanded.

From the way his hair moved, Ellie knew he’d shrugged, “That Ellie needs to tie her hair back tighter, so her nose doesn’t get itchy?”

Now _there_ was an idea she could get behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably won't write any more until after Christmas, so I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and if I don't update before then, a very Happy New Year! 
> 
> (I'd also like to apologise in advance because up next is Gondolia, with all the trimmings...)


	6. Welcome to Gondolia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party reach Gondolia, where the only difficulty they have to contend with is the local festival keeping them landbound...along with the local leader's refusal to even talk to them, a cursed child and an entire platoon of Heliodorian soldiers brandishing swords and shouting Darkspawn. Nothing they can't handle...right?

Even though Sylvando was obviously keen to watch the contest, Erik was surprised that the first thing he did when they found out it wouldn’t be starting for a while was to take them all to the market. On the one hand, it made sense because he had been singing the praises of the Gondolian bakeries for most of the walk through the desert and the laguna, but on the other, he was looking nowhere near the sweet stands. While they watched in bemusement, he conducted negotiations for crates and sacks of food, driving prices right down, but not so far that the stallholder looked ready to walk away.

“Man, every time I think I know this guy, he keeps on surprising me.” Erik mused, keeping a sharp eye on the proceedings. They’d gotten a fair amount of gold from all the monsters they’d fought just to get here, and Ellie was surprisingly careful with her money, paying a visit to the local branch of the Rainbow’s End every time they hit a new town. Altogether, there was more than enough to stock a ship the size that Sylvando claimed his boat was, but with him dealing with the stall holders, they hadn’t even broken that far into their purses.

Ellie made a soft humming noise, but that was all she had time for before Sylvando was coming back over, tossing her purse at her, “Now that all the boring shopping’s over, it’s time we got you both sorted.”

“Sorted how?” Erik kept his tone casual, even as he looked for potential escape routes. There was a glint in Sylvando’s eye that he didn’t like the look of, not in a malicious way, but Erik had gotten this far by trusting his instincts, and he was willing to let them take him a little further, even if it meant diving into the nearest canal and swimming for it.

His hopes were dashed when Sylvando draped a friendly arm over his shoulders, doing the same for Ellie on his other side, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you two aren’t exactly prepared for long distance travelling, sweetie. The twins at least have a few changes of clothes, and I have a whole wardrobe on the ship. You two on the other hand…”

“I’m actually covered there, Sylv.” His tunic had a few years left in it yet, and Ellie was getting good enough on the forge to produce a few pieces of armour here and there. Nothing fancy, but then he didn’t need anything over the top. As long as it kept him alive, it was fine by him.

“And I’ll borrow from the twins.” Ellie tried, “I’m sure Veronica has a few things she wouldn’t mind sharing.”

 _Yeah, it’s not like she packed any doll clothes before leaving Arboria,_ Erik thought, and it was only the fact that he could see the little brat’s hat sticking out of a crowd from stopped him from saying it aloud. Regardless, Ellie seemed to know what he was thinking anyway, and sent him a warning look, rightfully worried that he’d say it anyway.

“A good idea sweetie, but the twins only have dresses. Serena’s would be too long for you, and Veronica’s…” He trailed off, and after a second, Erik understood why. If Veronica’s dress hadn’t shrunk with her, then it must’ve been pretty short in the first place. He couldn’t imagine Ellie walking around in something like that without blushing every five seconds.

Erik excused himself to look at a stall boasting a decent selection of daggers, leaving Ellie to the mercies of a Sylvando both on a mission and bearing a full coin purse. It also gave him the chance to get a little more background on this ‘Signor Universo’ contest, and what he learned didn’t fill him with a lot of hope for their travel plans.

He waited until Sylvando, having successfully wheedled Ellie into buying not only a pair of new trousers and some spare shirts, but also a purple dress a few shades lighter than her coat, skipped to where the twins were trying to get his opinion on which type of pastry was better before approaching his partner in crime. She was hugging the parcel of clothes close to her chest, but still gave him her full attention when she noticed him standing there, “What’s wrong?”

“This Signor Universo thing isn’t starting for a few hours, right? Well, according to the guys over there, it also goes on for the better part of the day and evening. You know what that means, right?”

She gave it a little thought, before hitting the same conclusion he had, “We won’t get out of here until late evening, and that’s if Sylvando’s crew will sail through the night.”

“We’re here for another day at least.” Erik nodded. He hadn’t minded stopping in Hotto, because they really had stunk, and had gotten a pair of helpful allies out of it. In Gallopolis, all the delays had been in pursuit of their goal, and at the end of it, they’d gotten another ally, even if Erik was less sure about this one.

There was nothing keeping them in Gondolia but the stupid rule about leaving during the contest, all while the Rainbough got further and further away from them, and while the Heliodorian army could burst through the gates at any moment.

Without either actually saying anything, they started moving towards where the sailor minding the docks had told them the Doge lived. With any luck, this paragon of all that was good and just (the locals’ words, not his) would understand the hurry they were in, and let them go. Failing that, they still had most of a coin purse left, and if there was one thing Erik knew, it was that the rich never gave up a chance to get richer.

A maid brushing a doorstep was more than happy enough to point them to the right house on the street, but even if she hadn’t, Erik still might’ve guessed. There was nothing outright flashy about the place, yet it still held that feeling of ‘I’m better than you’ that he was so familiar with from his thieving days.

With a shrug to Ellie, Erik gave the door a couple of thumps, and was more surprised by who opened the door than by how quick they were. The man wore his wealth too well to be a servant, and openly introduced himself when he asked after the Doge. “Bene, I am Doge Rotondo. Always, I am happy to help a-“ His voice trailed off when he noticed Ellie standing there. Something passed behind his eyes too quick to spot, and all the friendliness dropped from his body as he looked at her.

“Sir?” Ellie tried, clearly unnerved, “We were wondering if it would be possible-”

“I have nothing to say to you. Niente!” The door slammed in their faces. “Now, you must go! Andate via!”

“Hey!” Erik gave the door another pounding, giving up when it became apparent the Doge wasn’t going to be goaded back out. “So much for ‘molto gentile’! I’ve met kinder judges!” Dropping his fists, he looked at Ellie, wondering if she had any better ideas, only meet her soft frown instead. “You okay?”

She took a deep breath before nodding, and plastering a fake smile on her face that Erik didn’t have the heart to call out. It soon gave way to genuine concern at the sound of familiar, delicate little steps racing their way. “Serena?”

“There you are. Veronica’s managed to get herself into a bit of a scrape.”

* * *

As much as he wanted to protest being sent on another errand, there was something about this whole situation with Placido that stunk, and Erik wanted to get to the bottom of it. Why would anyone feel the need the curse a little kid like that, unless he had seen or heard something he wasn’t supposed to?

Getting the answer would have to wait though. The others shared his suspicions, and since there was no point in crowding the poor kid seconds after he got his voice back, he and Ellie were dispatched to grab seats for the Signor Universo competition that Sylvando was absolutely desperate to watch.

“Knowing our luck, we’ll get dragged into that too.” He complained. It got him a dirty look from a passing local, who clearly didn’t appreciate their big event being insulted in any way, but Ellie saw the funny side, so he didn’t feel too guilty.

“You might anyway. It’s just for men, remember?”

“Oh yeah…We’ll just send Sylv up, it seems like his idea of a great time.” Heck, if the prizes looked halfway decent, Erik might suggest Sylvando take a turn anyway.

Ellie gave him a nudge, “Don’t put yourself down, I bet you’d do great up there.” His withering look was met with another laugh, which only deepened when Erik, short of any response that would help his case, reached over and ruffled her hair. Satisfied that what had happened with the Doge hadn’t left too much of an impression, he turned his attention to the stage, wondering if there were any seas that would meet with Sylvando’s approval.

Instead he grabbed Ellie’s wrist, and dug his heels in, pulling them both to a stop. She glanced at him in surprise, but then she followed his eyes, and froze solid. Not ready to move himself, Erik clung to the desperate chance that they were wrong. “Does that guy look familiar to you?”

“Yes.” Ellie’s face had lost all colour, and Erik kicked himself for forgetting, however briefly, that Jasper wasn’t just another soldier of Heliodor for her. They needed to find the others and get out of there.

Before they could even think of retreating though, the knight in shining armour on Gondolia’s main stage turned. The picture of everything gallant, and heroic, and yet when his eyes locked onto them, there was nothing remotely warm in his smirk, “I had thought to search the town for you while the citizenry were occupied with this idiotic spectacle, but no. Instead, you choose to saunter up and greet me in broad daylight. Brazen fools!”

They were drawing attention now, and Jasper had always known how to play to a crowd. “People of Gondolia! Listen, and listen well! I, Jasper, knight of Heliodor and trusted retainer of His Majesty, King Carnelian come before you to tell you that the very Darkspawn herself is among us! The bedevilled child who brought about the destruction of Dundrasil!”

Behind them, Heliodor soldiers were fanning out, trapping them on the main street. Erik sent a quick look to them, wondering about their chances of getting through, but Ellie’s eyes were firmly on Jasper as he stepped down from the stage, one hand held out to her in a mockery of chivalric manners. “Ellie, we need to move.”

“Come quietly, accursed one.” Jasper offered, “and I may not be inclined to make you suffer.”

“I’m sure you know my answer to that.” Soft as Ellie’s voice was, it carried over the whispers of the crowd, over the sounds of swords and a knife being drawn, and Jasper’s own growl of anger. She was shaking head to toe, face unreadable, and that was the part of the situation that Erik thought scariest. It wasn’t right for such an open book to be so blank.

Jasper withdrew his hand, “Very well then. Men, bring the Darkspawn to me! Do what you will with the thief.”

How nice it was to be considered.

* * *

When they got out of this (and they _would_ get out of this), Erik was going to take back every bad thing he ever said about Veronica. Every mean remark, every invitation for an argument, heck, he’d even stop asking her if she was being crabby because they’d let her stay up past her bedtime. Everything. He’d apologise for it all.

It would probably make her day more than getting to throw fireballs at everything that moved would.

Serena got them off the stage they’d let themselves be herded onto during the initial scuffle, and one hand holding tight to Ellie, started leading them towards whatever meeting point the others had agreed on. They had only seconds before someone noticed them getting away, and Erik could practically pinpoint when it happened, the hairs on the back of his neck rising at Jasper’s yell.

But even then, he didn’t hear anyone pursuing them or even the clink of armour, and that made Erik nervous. Soldiers always chased them, had done since day one. So why now, when they were barely metres away with very few options that didn’t involve taking a dip in the sea or a canal, weren’t they being chased?

Erik chanced a look back, hoping there’d be some hint, and got the full answer instead.

Jasper was charging a spell, a nasty looking one that, if Erik was a soldier, he’d want to stay well away from too. It was nothing like what a knight like Jasper would be expected to wield, just curling, dark energy that had no shape or form to it, but clung to its caster’s hand, waiting to be launched. Everything about it looked and felt wrong, and for a split second, Erik felt a giddy relief that Jasper wasn’t pointing it at him.

Then, just as Jasper flung the darkness, Erik’s brain caught up with the situation. Of course it hadn’t been aimed at him, it wasn’t _him_ that Heliodor’s finest were tripping over their feet to get hold of, was it?

It was Ellie.

Ellie, who was still being dragged along by Serena, tripping up every third step or so. Ellie, who hadn’t looked back to see why they weren’t being chased. Ellie, who needed to get out of this alive if the world stood any chance against this Dark One or whatever it was threatening them.

Shouting a warning would take too much time, and Erik wasn’t sure he’d be able to push both her and Serena away. So he just moved, twisting at the last second when his brain, one second behind as always, pointed out that taking a blast of pure dark energy to his heart wasn’t a good idea.

He still went down hard. The magic burned through his tunic and right into his skin, and had it been anyone else but Jasper, Erik would’ve screamed. Since it was Jasper though, and Erik would rather take another blast than give that creep the satisfaction, he forced himself to stay quiet. The pain lasted longer than he thought it should’ve, and he was so very tempted to take the hand being held out to him, and let his friends help him.

Instead he smacked it away, and forced himself to ignore the hurt in Ellie’s eyes. His first instinct was to apologise, but there was no time for that. “What are you doing? I bought you some time—use it! Get out of here, now!” He was aiming it at Serena more than he was Ellie, and she thankfully took the hint, grabbing Ellie, first by the shoulder, then the wrist when she struggled.

As she was dragged away, Ellie’s eyes left his just once, throwing a look of pure and utter hatred at someone behind him. It was a dark look that had no business being on the Luminary’s face, and right until the first soldier grabbed him, pushing his face into the cobblestones as they wrestled his arms behind his back and then into rope, Erik wondered if he had made a huge mistake.

Two of the soldiers dragged him to his feet and pulled him back towards the stage. The others shot off after the girls, and when he was up the steps at last, he just about saw a flash of red vanish behind a row of houses. He quickly returned his attention to Jasper, refusing to give the hunter any clue as to where the prey had gone.

Unexpectedly, Erik was spared the grand speeches, at least until the last soldiers huffed and puffed their way back. None of them needed to say anything, since the lack of any prisoners was louder than any excuse.

The silence went on for so long that Erik was almost glad when Jasper yanked at his tunic, pulling him out of his jailers’ grasp, “Where have they gone?”

“Like I’d tell you.” A brief flash was all the warning he got before his head snapped to the side, cheek exploding with pain.

Even though the corner of his mouth was steadily dripping blood, Erik inwardly grinned. A swift beating while his partners made their getaway was nothing he wasn’t familiar with, and the longer Jasper knocked him around, the further away Ellie and the others would get. Unfortunately, after another slap and threats of being subjected to a slow, painful death got him no closer to his goal, Jasper came to the same conclusion.

Erik was thrown at another soldier without warning, almost sending both of them flying, “Secure him somewhere visible, but don’t let him out of your sight. If we can’t find the Darkspawn, we’ll just make her come to us. In the meantime, spread out and search every alley and shadow you can find.” Jasper cast a roving eye of the city before him, a predator surveying his hunting grounds. “Before tomorrow dawns, we’ll have our prize.”

Even when the pillar they were tying him to dug into the spot the magic had hit him, Erik refused to make a single sound of pain, channelling it into a defiant shout instead, “She’s smarter than you think, Jasper. Ellie won’t fall into your trap just to save me.”

Clearly more irritated that the yell interrupted his brooding gaze than he was by the actual words, Jasper gave the thief, a sharp glare, “You’ll forgive me if I don’t share your belief. Either the girl comes to save your worthless hide and lets herself get captured, or she proves what we already know. That the Darkspawn has no loyalty to her friends, in which case, those others will turn on her eventually.” He shrugged, going back to his brooding, “No matter which path she takes, she will fall tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part to this has already been written, but I shall warn you all in advance, it won't be going as canon did.
> 
> I shall now leave you wondering what that means, tee hee.


	7. The Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sir Jasper thinks he's claimed his second victory over the Luminary, but he's severely underestimated the power a pissed off teenager can have, especially when her friends are hurt.

When the foreign commander had turned up, announcing his intention to hunt down a dangerous fugitive, everyone had, for the most part let them get on with it. He had the Doge’s permission to put his men into the main guard, and the legends of Sir Jasper and Sir Hendrik were popular, even here.

Finding out that the dangerous fugitive happened to be the nice young girl whose party had not only bought a fair amount of goods from their stands, but had helped their own little Placido after he was afflicted by that horrible curse, had shaken their belief somewhat, but a lot could be hidden behind a kind smile. Again, it was none of their business.

But when the foreign knight dared insult the Signor Universo contest and taint it by bringing violence to its very stage? Well there was only so much people could be expected to put up with.

At least, that was how the dockmaster explained the situation when Serena asked him why he was going to such lengths to hide them. He’d not only let them through to the docks without question, but had also brought them a plate of food and dealt with any soldiers who knocked at the gate. Anywhere else and Ellie would’ve been suspicious, but having witnessed the single-minded adoration Gondolia had for the contest, she bought it.

Besides, she really, _really_ couldn’t deal with second guessing things right now. Not when there was already so much going on inside her head. The desire to follow her grandad’s words about living life without grudges clashed with her urge to make Jasper pay for everything he had done, and even if she found some impossible way to keep to both, Erik was still in danger.

They had no plan for rescuing him beyond waiting for night, when their chances of sneaking around without detection would be highest. From there, they would be making it up as they went along, and even though it was the same way they had approached everything else so far, Ellie was terrified that it wouldn’t be enough this time. Not without someone getting hurt more than they already had.

_Who cares about them? They’ve been chasing after you from the start, so why should you show them any mercy?_

The thought came unbidden, whispering in Ellie’s own voice, and she quickly shook her head to clear it away. She wasn’t going to be like them, or play the part they were so determined she filled.

_Nobody would blame you. What kind of knight uses magic like that anyway? You’d be doing the world a fav-_

“Ellie?” Regardless of her earlier desire to be left alone, Veronica’s voice was a welcome distraction. The sorceress seemed to sense that something was wrong, and Ellie was glad when she just carried on with what she had been sent over to do. “Sylvando’s got the beginnings of a plan. We could use some help with it.”

It was an obvious lie, but Ellie nodded and followed her back to where Serena and Sylvando were talking in hushed tones. As expected, Sylvando didn’t seem to need anyone’s help plotting their escape, and simply talked them through the best way to get across to the main bridge. The irony of the resident performer being the one to advocate stealth wasn’t lost on Ellie, and she looked forwards to telling Erik about it.

Because they would get Erik back, Ellie promised herself, whether it was through stealth, or outright force.

* * *

Night finally came, and after making sure the coast was clear, Sylvando gestured them out and behind a pile of crates nearby, one at a time. In much the same fashion they made their way through Gondolia, slipping behind patrolling guards until they were inside and out of sight. They always went in the same order, Serena first, then Veronica, and finally Ellie. Only once were they nearly caught, right after leaving the docks, but in the time it took Ellie to pull her sword and fight with that little voice, Sylvando was lowering the guard to the ground, tucking his unconscious body behind an empty stall. He didn’t give them the chance to gape, spurring them on with furious little waves.

When they finally got to the bridge, Ellie wanted to cry with relief. Instead she followed the others, watching the last cluster of guards they had passed, praying they would just keep talking to each other rather than doing their job.

The party wasn’t even halfway across when Jasper’s voice cut through the air, prompting everyone to grab someone to pull down out of sight. Veronica was especially insistent, almost breaking Ellie’s knees on the stones with her yank. “I know you are scurrying around in the shadows like the rodent you are, Darkspawn! Show yourself!”

The mess they had landed in would’ve been comical in any other situation, but at that moment, Ellie settled for the dizzying relief that came with the realisation that Jasper hadn’t actually spotted them. She wondered how many times he had shouted into the empty city already, as if she would stand up and shout, “Here I am, come and get me!”

They all put their faces right to the rail, peering through the balustrades and hoping it would be enough to hide them all. Jasper was easy to spot, his armour reflecting every torch on the stage to throw sinister shadows everywhere. Holding her breath as if it would help push back against the anger that had returned when she saw him, Ellie quickly scanned the area near him, but it was Veronica who suddenly clasped her arm, pointing at the back columns of the stage.

If it wasn’t for Erik’s hair, she might have missed him. But every now and then a torch would flicker enough to show off the plume of blue spikes that Erik was rightfully proud of. It was hard to tell from that distance if he was hurt or not, but he didn’t look like he was moving, and he was too quiet for comfort.

Her attention went back to Jasper when he spoke again, threatening Erik with what ultimately boiled down to ‘Or else’, yet still sent a shiver down her spine. They needed to get down there, and they needed to get there fast.

Sylvando’s suggestion of taking the gondola was sound, and she was willing to bet it’d be a lot safer than risking another stealth tour of Gondolia. At the same time though, the gondolas were easiest the worst thing she’d ever tried to steer in a hurry. It would only take one soldier to notice them, one crossbow bolt aimed halfway decently…

No. She was not going to let anyone else she cared about get hurt.

“Good plan Sylv. You guys take the boat, and I’ll cover you from here.”

“What are- Ellie, no!”

Keeping as close to the rail as possible, Ellie clambered on and over, dangling at the lowest point she could before dropping down, moving as quickly as she could without drawing more attention. There was the briefest brush of fingers on her coat’s collar, but ultimately Sylvando’s hands closed around thin air, and the jester had to settle for hissing her name like the twins were. “Get back here, now!”

Ellie shook her head, “I’ll be fine. Just follow the plan!” She turned on her heel, and after taking a deep breath, started walking up the main street, ignoring the frantic cries behind her.

“Ellie, please!”

“We’ll be fine, just get back into cover!”

“Eliza honey, don’t be a fool!”

Oh, how she wanted to pause then. How she wanted to throw a questioning look over her shoulder and demand answers. But there was no time. Instead she tucked the matter behind everything she needed to focus on, and kept her steps steady and her shoulders back. The cries faded away, and after a few seconds she could hear the water shifting in the canal running parallel to the path, impossible to notice unless you were listening for it.

And who would be listening? Certainly not the soldiers, who watched her stride defiantly between them with a carefully blank face. It was obvious from the way they just let her walk by that they didn’t know what to do, now that she had stopped running from them. They had no idea how hard her heart was beating in her chest, only that she was showing them no fear, and nobody wanted to be the one to get in her way.

She deliberately kept her hands clasped in front of her, as far from her sword hilt as she could get without looking ridiculous. Her head, she kept high, looking through each and every one of the soldiers that scrambled to get out of her way.

Her birth mother’s letter had said she was a princess. Ellie hoped that she was projecting that image convincingly, because the second it faltered, it would be all over.

Despite the silence that had overtaken the main street, Jasper had kept his back turned, glaring out over the sea like it had personally offended him, and Ellie knew she’d made the right choice, even if she’d be hearing about it for the next month or so.

When she was on the stage steps, doing her best to avoid looking directly at Erik and his furious glare, Ellie cleared her throat loudly, not giving Jasper the chance to react before addressing him properly, congratulating herself on her steady tone, “Sir Jasper. Here I am.”

“So you are.” Jasper turned around, and if he thought it strange that she was standing right in front of him, he didn’t show it beyond a single raised eyebrow. Instead he turned his attention to the gawping mass behind her, “Your orders still stand men, I want her entire group here now so that they may face Heliodor’s justice!”

One in slightly fancier armour took a step forwards, “Sir Jasper, should one of us not-“

“I’m sure the Darkspawn would agree that she is no match for me alone. Now go.”

“Get out of here, Ellie!” Erik suddenly yelled, throwing himself as far forwards as the ropes let him. “I’m not worth this!”

“Now now,” Jasper chuckled, gesturing her up the last few steps. Ellie did as she was bid, only then seeing what Erik was trying to do. Before Jasper could notice though, Sylvando and Serena managed to regain control of the gondola, steering it closer to the wall where it would be out of sight. Nobody aboard looked happy with the situation, but Ellie kept her focus on Jasper. “That’s hardly how you should treat someone willing to try and rescue scum like you, thief.”

“Don’t call him scum.” Ellie snarled. The sudden aggression in her tone snapped Jasper’s attention right back to her, just as the others slipped round the last corner. Not much longer now. Grabbing for the remains of her previous cover, Ellie took yet another breath, “I’ve come to surrender to you, on the condition that you let my friends go. _All_ of my friends.”

“And just why, Darkspawn, when you’re here, within my reach…” He set a hand on her cheek to prove his point, moving her hair away and caressing it in a mockery of fondness, “Would I do anything that you demand of me?”

Ellie forced herself to stay calm and still, picking her words carefully. “Because you’ve already taken everything else from me.” His hand stopped moving, but stayed where it was, a warning and invitation to go on all at once. There was no way for her to look away, not with his eyes staring so intently into hers, so there was no way to see if her distraction was still working. So, she just carried on, losing the battle to keep any real emotion out of her voice. “I saw what you did to Cobblestone. All those people, all those lives, ended because of me.”

“That’s right.” Jasper drawled, moving one finger just enough to wipe at the tears starting to form in her eye, still holding to that ideal picture of a knight. “All because of you.”

“I just want it to end.” Ellie whispered, hating herself for how true it was. “I don’t want to fight any dark thoughts, or wonder if my choices could hurt other people.” She took a shuddery breath, before injecting enough steel into her eyes that Jasper took a step back before remembering himself. It was enough for Ellie to immediately notice the empty pillar, and pick up on the strange crackle in the air usually preceding Veronica’s magic. “But I’ll be damned if I just lie down at your feet after what you’ve done to my family and my friends.”

“Ellie, move!”

Jasper spun around quickly, and yet was too slow to brace in time to avoid the worst of Veronica’s frizz spell. By the time he recovered, Ellie was back between her friends, weapons raised. “So, this was all a trick, then? I don’t know why I expected any different from dishonourable scum such as yourselves!”

“So says the knight who slaughtered an entire village. So says the knight who flung black magic into a crowd of innocent people in the hopes of hitting one person.” Ellie flung herself forwards, slashing at the chainmail at his shoulder, hoping it would connect. When she was forced away again, she practically growled, “So says the knight who couldn’t capture one girl without invading an entire city!”

Jasper snarled and lunged, only for Serena’s wind magic and Sylvando’s fire breathing to force him back again. While he was distracted, Erik slipped behind him and slashed at his back and knees in the hope of bringing him down. Seeming to sense it, the knight turned, but was just as quickly occupied again by dodging the lightning Ellie threw.

The fight went on, drawing more and more attention from the soldiers still out on the hunt. Ellie was not so absorbed by her rage that she didn’t notice the efforts everyone went through to keep her from making the duel one on one. Every hit Jasper sent at her, was deflected away by Sylvando, or a sudden gust of wind would send him flying back. It became harder as the first few stragglers started to arrive, but then Ellie started returning the favour, pulling Veronica away from a wild strike or swapping places when Erik’s opponent got out of stabbing range.

It was a long hard fight, but they managed to force Jasper to take a knee. It didn’t mean they had won, if anything it just made him more determined, yet the sight made some of Ellie’s anger fade. Even though the goal was now escape rather than an all-out victory, even though they were now outnumbered beyond hope, even though there was still no way out, she felt a little of the weight following her since Cobblestone lift from her shoulders. Then it was back to protecting her friends, throwing a small bolt of lightning at a soldier who thought Serena would be easy pickings.

She was snapped back to reality by Sylvando jumping into the sea, correctly predicting that the others would think him crazy for doing so, which did nothing to help their chances. And being asked to trust him now left a strange taste in Ellie’s mouth, though whether that was because of her new worry, or because it looked like Jasper was going to claim the day after all, she didn’t know. Jasper seemed to have a good enough idea anyway, “True to form the rats leap from the sinking ship! Is he one of the friends you were so willing to sacrifice himself for, Darkspawn?”

“At least I have friends!” Ellie bit back, wishing she could kick Erik when he snorted in amusement. “That’s more than you can say!”

“Maybe so, but I’m not the one with the choice, girl. We’ve tried things your way, and you failed. All that you can do now is choose, surrender to me, or trust the sharks circling beneath.”

Remembering the feel of his hand on her cheek, Ellie took a deliberate step back, wordlessly making her choice. Even knowing that she was likely about to be chewed on and digested couldn’t erase the simple satisfaction of seeing Jasper twitch, especially when he just kept doing it as first Erik, then the twins joined her.

Every step the knight took towards them, the party took another away, until there was nothing but the short rail between them and their fishy fate. Naturally of course, that was when the standoff was broken by a single cry of “Sir Jasper! Look!”

Everyone followed the soldier’s finger, and at long last they were all united, even if it was only by stunned silence. Because, when someone boasted about the size of their catch, or in Sylvando’s case, the wonder boat, everyone knew to decrease their actual expectations so they wouldn’t be taken in. There were never any exceptions.

Except now there was. And if anything, Sylvando had been _modest_ about the ship he just happened to have lying about the place. It wasn’t just a little pleasure yacht but a full-blown ship, complete with figurehead, three masts and gilding everywhere, and a prow long enough for Sylvando to pose dramatically as they neared the quay, only breaking character to wave at them, “All aboard!”

Recovering with several startled blinks, Ellie quickly gestured for Erik to go first. He cleared the gap easily, clambering up the ship railing with no issue. Sylvando had managed to pull himself away from adding to the décor, and between them, the men were able to grab Serena’s hands when she hesitated at the last second. They pulled her over the railing and got her steady in time to repeat the action with Veronica, who fell short, not because she hesitated, but because she was just short.

Only when she was certain all her friends were safe did Ellie climb onto the railing. She looked back, just to make sure they wouldn’t be followed, and to throw a last challenge at Jasper, who simply smirked, as if this was no problem at all. He still planned on claiming victory somehow, but Ellie could no longer bring herself to care.

They would face each other again, Ellie knew, and next time, only one of them would be walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!


	8. Noodle Incidents on the High Seas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not all plain sailing from here, not that they could really claim it had ever been going like that.

All in all, their little trip to Gondolia had ended well. Yes, they’d almost lost one of their party to the authorities, and their escape had almost been cut short by a giant squid of all things, but the good people of the city bore them no major grudge, Placido had his voice back, everyone was safe and sound, and they were back on the trail of the Rainbough. All things considered; Veronica supposed things could’ve gone worse.

That wasn’t to say that there weren’t going to be a few uncomfortable conversations in the near future. Even Serena wasn’t optimistic enough to think that they could put everything behind them just like that. Sylvando looked about five seconds away from shaking Ellie silly for acting as live bait, while she in turn couldn’t keep from looking at him suspiciously, though why, Veronica didn’t know. Meanwhile Erik was probably preparing some noble rubbish about how they shouldn’t have risked rescuing him, while dodging Serena’s every attempt to sit him down and make sure Jasper’s magic was completely out of his system.

And Veronica? She was torn between knocking heads together to get it over and done with, or crawling into whichever cabin she and Serena would be sharing, and not leaving for a week.

Eventually, after only an hour of actual sailing had gone by, Sylvando’s friend Dave dropped the anchor and ordered everyone to bed. There was no point continuing when it was clear none of them would be up to fighting any monsters that climbed aboard, a point which Sylvando agreed with, ushering everyone below decks and showing them where the guest cabins were. Veronica left the graceful thanks and wishes for everyone to have sweet dreams to Serena, climbing into her bunk and dropping off before the door was closed.

Of course, any hope that the tension would be relieved in the morning was spoilt by the sound of loud retching from above her, and a mad dash to find a bowl or basin for Serena to use. The next hour saw them moved out onto the deck, where hopefully the fresh air would help her twin find her sea-legs again, and she wasn’t surprised when they were soon joined by Erik and Ellie, only just getting to the side in time for the green-faced Luminary to spill her guts.

Knowing from experience that there wasn’t much they could do until they stopped for longer than a few seconds, Veronica and Erik left them under the watch of Sylvando and Dave, who had been up long before any of them had. “Be dears and fetch some water and plain biscuits from the galley, will you?” He called after them, too busy tying Ellie’s hair into a neat braid to do it himself. “And make sure to grab something for yourselves too!”

“Will do!” Erik saluted, picking up the pace when one of the invalids moaned. He moved surprisingly well, even when they went below where the rocking was worse, and Veronica was constantly having to adjust her feet to stay steady. The contrast left her literally scratching her head in wonder.

Still, there wasn’t much to do. Erik took the tray back to the others, returning with a report that both Ellie and Serena had managed to come away from the side, and that her sister was also sporting a braid now. “It sure makes the resemblance between you two stronger.” He teased, going to tug one of her pigtails before Veronica lightly smacked his hand away.

Since they didn’t want to risk a relapse, they stayed inside with their food, sitting opposite each other at the table. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a couple of bacon sandwiches each, but since it felt like a lifetime since she’d last eaten, Veronica wasn’t going to make any fuss. “You’re better at cooking than I thought, considering what happened the last time we left you with the campfire.” She smirked, only half taking a dig at him.

Seeming to understand that, Erik barely reacted. “We agreed it wasn’t my fault that _somebody_ couldn’t tell the difference between a twig and a monster arm.”

“Just like we agreed it wasn’t my fault that a stump-chump’s arm was miles away from the nearest stump-chump?” The question of how it had gotten there had come after the arm twig had started twitching like mad after hitting the fire, upending the entire pot and its contents before wriggling out of the campfire and in the direction of Serena’s bed roll. Luckily by that point their shock had translated to action, and they were able to put the twig out before it could set the blankets alight. Sylvando had thrown the arm as far from the camp as he could, but only a few minutes later it blew back towards them, seemingly intent on taking its revenge.

At the time it had been a little concerning, then slightly terrifying when another three attempts to get rid of the thing ended the same way, but now it was easy to laugh about it. When it stopped being funny, Erik kept the ball rolling, “Well, a stump-chump in the campfire still beats your attempt to preserve that meat we bought.”

“It worked didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s just a shame you didn’t think about the fact that we were in the _desert_.” The frozen meat had only lasted so long before Ellie’s pack and the back of her coat were soaking wet. They were able to salvage most of the food, and luckily Ellie’s satchel, containing her more important belongings was spared.

“Oh yeah, well what about you trying to outdo Sylvando at knife juggling?”

“It’s not my fault you made me jump. Besides, I caught the knife, didn’t I?”

Veronica gripped her pigtails protectively. “Only just!”

The two barely noticed their empty plates, too absorbed in their new game of one upping each other with their past mistakes and mishaps. There was nothing venomous to the bickering, or even a hint of real seriousness, and the worst it got was when Erik managed to pinch her nose after she brought up how much he stank after falling into part of the laguna. Even then she managed to get him back with a good kick to the shin under the table.

There’d be time for all the serious talk another time. For now, they’d just enjoy their memories of their journey so far, and look forwards to new ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I've managed to do one from Veronica's point of view! It's a short one, but hopefully it'll help me write more from her perspective in the future.


	9. Eliza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie finally gets around to telling Sylvando what's on her mind.

As impressive as it was that everyone who stayed at the Warrior’s Rest had the same dream, the last thing Sylvando wanted after spending the early hours of the night helping a spectral knight find eternal rest was to dream of another spectral knight. Perhaps if there was some way of helping the poor wretch, he would feel differently, but in all the years the story had been floating around, there’d never been a single sign of how to help him.

Besides, after all the action earlier, he didn’t feel ready for bed. Instead he sat in the small dining room with a book and a warm cup of wine that the innkeeper’s wife had left him with before going upstairs herself. With any luck, staying up a little later would render him too exhausted to dream.

A few chapters in, his quiet reading was disturbed by a creaking from upstairs. Sylvando paused, finger on the corner of the page. After a second or two, the creaks returned, crossing over his head and towards the top of the stairs. Whoever it was hesitated before coming down, and even before he saw the shadow, Sylvando knew who it was. “Can’t sleep either?”

Ellie shook her head, keeping her voice low as she came down, “I haven’t tried yet. And since the others are asleep, I wanted to ask you about something.”

“Of course, honey. Take a seat.” As she came closer to the candle, he saw that the flash of suspicion that she’d been regarding him with since their exit from Gondolia had all but vanished. Either she’d finally decided to forgive him for whatever it was he’d done, or she was too tired to even try.

He was willing to bet the latter. It was painfully clear that she was trying to summon up that mask she had used with Jasper, and that she was failing miserably. Still, there was something in her tone that said they _would_ be having this conversation, whether it was now or later. Probably best that he picked ‘now’.

She took a seat opposite him, and stared into her lap for a second or two before actually speaking. “Back when you and the others were trying to get me to come back to the bridge, you were the only one who called for Eliza instead of Ellie.” Her eyes came up to his again, covered by what was either severe annoyance, or mild anger. “I wanted to know why.”

Ah, so that was what this was about. Sylvando knew better than most what it was like to hate your birth name enough to go by something else, even if he thought Ellie’s reaction was rather…intense compared to some other cases he’d seen over the years. Then again, perhaps very few people had ever addressed her as such, and it was over-familiarity that had rankled her? “I’m sorry honey. I was just hoping you’d listen if I used your full name. It won’t happen again, I promise”

To his surprise, Ellie’s frown deepened, and she shook her head, “That’s not what I meant, Sylv.”

“It’s not?”

“It’s just that…” She licked her lips and tried again, “I’ve only told one person what Ellie’s short for since I left Cobblestone, and that was King Carnelian, just before he had Hendrik take me down to the dungeons. Even Erik doesn’t know…So, how did you?”

Sylvando pointedly did not freeze. He had been caught out, and by the simplest thing, but to suddenly go still now would only tell Ellie that her fears were justified. Instead he slowly reached for her left hand, doing his best not to feel hurt by her obvious reluctance to let him. But she did, and her birthmark was revealed to the dim candlelight. “I have known who you are since I first saw this, He said, tone unusually serious, “Mere glimpses before we set out to face the Slayer, but only when Serena spoke of journeying to Yggdrasil and you had your nightmare were my suspicions confirmed.”

Ellie didn’t answer right away, using the silence to slide her palm away to lie flat on the table, “That doesn’t answer my question.”

No, he supposed it didn’t. He decided to try a different method, “There aren’t many people who remember the true story of the Luminary born sixteen years ago. All the excitement over Princess Eliza was washed away by Dundrasil’s fall, and then by King Carnelian spouting this Darkspawn nonsense. It wasn’t until Jasper turned up in Gondolia that I found out Heliodor thought the Darkspawn and the Luminary were the same person.” Sylvando supposed that most people thought that the infant Luminary had been slaughtered like her parents and Princess Jade had, or that they were so distracted by the loss of so many lives that logic was put on the backburner. He himself had struggled to find much sense in the days that had followed. What point was there in being cheerful when any day they could all be wiped out by a legion of monsters strong enough to tackle the warriors of Dundrasil?

When the days continued to go by with nothing appearing on the horizon to kill them all, Sylvando had gradually found his smile again, and dedicated himself to bringing it back to other people. The events of that night slipped into history; a sad chapter that never failed to turn him solemn. And up until he had come out to give Margarita her daily dose of fussing, he’d almost forgotten that the world had had another Luminary. “When we met in Gallopolis, I knew that you had to be that little princess all grown up. As a performer dedicated to keeping the smiles on people’s faces and hope in their hearts, I knew it was my duty to see you succeed in your mission to defeat this Dark One. Had I thought to notice that nobody else referred to you as Eliza, I would’ve kept my dramatics to myself.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Ellie snorted. “Any excuse to cause a scene, and you’re there, front and centre.”

Sylvando cracked a relieved smile. “Well, you can’t expect me to supress my very nature, can you?”

Ellie shook her head, and though it was foolish to claim that the world had turned right again, Sylvando thought it was well on its way. They dropped the subject of her name so Ellie could ask him small questions about Dundrasil. Apparently, she had heard from the innkeeper that the ruins of her birthplace were nearby, and though she had no desire to see it as it was now, it was clear that she at least wanted a picture of what it had been. This time, Sylvando was careful with his words, making sure not to give away anything that a jester wouldn’t know.

His wariness paid off when Ellie, having exhausted her supply of questions and after a watered-down cup of wine, rubbed her eyes and confided one last worry to him. “You fight like him you know.”

“I fight like who, sweetie?”

“Jasper. It made it easy to fight him, but that’s what I was really worried about. That you were one of them, and just pretending to be our friend.”

Hiding how hard his heart had started to beat after hearing that, Sylvando reached over to ruffle her hair, “Well, don’t be. I’d sooner set fire to the _Stallion_ than be seen in anything a Heliodorian knight would wear.” He pretended to check the time on the clock, and gestured for her to stand, “Now come, as much as I love our night-time chats, we’ve another long walk tomorrow, and I’m only going to offer piggyback rides to Veronica.”


	10. The Masked Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last obstacle stands between the party and the Rainbough. It's just a shame that it comes with stages, and an appearance by a mysterious pair who seem slightly too interested in Ellie.  
> Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to jump to Plan B...

It was a strange day when being greeted by a giant statue of Hendrik wielding an axe was only the second biggest reason for Ellie to dislike a location, but somehow Octagonia managed to top that by dangling the Rainbough right in front of them, only to snatch it away by making it the first prize in a fighting tournament. With everything they’d already done in the hopes of getting it, Ellie was about five seconds away from losing any hope of getting to Yggdrasil anytime this century.

Judging by the way he was looking at the security around the sign-up booth and the way out, Erik seemed to share her opinion. Before he could properly formulate a plan to add another rare treasure to his thieving portfolio, Veronica stepped on his foot and shot him a sharp glare when he tried complaining. “Keep that for plan B.” The tiny sorceress ordered in a low voice, ignoring Serena’s gasp at the idea.

Plan A, if it could be called that, involved Ellie, Erik and Sylvando adding their names to the tournament roster. Serena had wisely decided to sit the competition out, while Veronica’s apparent age had the official at the desk shaking his head before she could take the pen. With any luck, they’d be spread across separate teams to increase their chances of getting to the final rounds, but that didn’t mean any of them were really looking forwards to having to fight each other.

On the plus side, the actual fighting wouldn’t begin until the next day, whereas the partner draw started not long after they had signed in. A chance to check out their competition was nothing to sneeze at, even though Ellie had no idea what she was actually supposed to be looking for. There seemed to be people wielding every type of weapon she had ever seen, and a few that she hadn’t.

Not long after she started scanning people though, trying to spot any obvious weaknesses, Ellie felt eyes on her. It wasn’t Sylvando, who seemed to be critiquing people’s fashion choices rather than their weapons, or Erik, who still seemed to be planning the Great Rainbough Heist. One elbow applied to his side brought the plotting to a halt, and made him look at her, “What’s up?”

“I think someone’s watching us.”

Behind the silver domino mask, Erik’s eyes narrowed, and he sent a look to the crowd around them. After a second or two, he shook his head, “Can’t see anyone. Stay on your guard though.”

Ellie nodded, which was all there was time for, since the MC had stepped onto stage, a huge box at his side, and a winning smile on his face. Not fooled in the slightest, both Ellie and Erik took a deep breath, and checked their numbers again, determined to get this over and done with as soon as possible.

* * *

“A word of advice?” Ellie turned to see who’d spoken, and blinked to see that it was Number Eight, the woman who would’ve been her partner before that old man had spoken up. Said old man was hanging back slightly, his attention apparently elsewhere, but Ellie had witnessed enough eavesdropping to know when someone was doing it. Suddenly, she had a fairly good idea of who had been staring at them earlier.

Deciding not to let on that she had noticed, she looked back at the woman, “Sure. I’m not really used to taking part in something like this, so anything would be a good help.”

The woman gestured to Ellie’s hair, “Tournaments like this are anything goes, so you should tie that back before anyone gets ideas about grabbing it.” It seemed a bit rich for her to say that considering her own hair was tied back in a long ponytail that reached the back of her knees, and seemed like it would be a much easier target than Ellie’s, which was just long enough to brush her shoulder blades.

Still, the woman did look like she knew what she was talking about, and there wasn’t any clear benefit to her taking the time to warn Ellie. So instead of asking why she had done it, Ellie just thanked her for the advice, adding a quick “Good luck!” before Erik called her over so they could go looking for the inn they had been booked into.

Their walk was slightly derailed by the fact that Serena had lost Veronica in the crowd of people leaving the stands, an issue that soon sorted itself out when they heard the familiar tones of Veronica’s voice ripping into some poor soul. From what Ellie was able to pick out as they hurried to intervene, the large man Veronica was staring down had accidently walked into her, and then ruined his chances of an easy mistake by calling her a ‘snooty midget’. The resulting argument was drawing a crowd, and getting through was far from easy.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you to say sorry?” Veronica demanded, ignoring them all calling her name.

The man she was yelling at seemed happy to do the same. He was one of the other fighters that had been in the crowd, and had been paired up with someone just as muscular and thuggish as he was. “Cor, you really don't know when to shut up, do ya? This is all I need after me bleedin', stinkin' luck in that bleedin', stinkin' draw!”

By some miracle, the crowd around them started to part, going silent as a lone figure called out to Veronica’s opponent. “Don't take it out on the kid, Underdigger. We all have our bad days.”

The Underdigger whirled round, clearly ready to take on this newcomer, only to start spluttering instead. No doubt his face at seeing Ellie’s partner, the last year’s champion with the undeniably impressive name of Vince Vanquish, was priceless under his mask. Taking advantage of the quiet and Vince’s free damage control, the party were able to get around the stunned crowd, Ellie and Erik quickly grabbing Veronica by the wrists and pulling her behind them, just in case she decided to take revenge while the Underdigger was distracted.

Thankfully, the Underdigger quickly found an excuse to leave, and Vince looked more amused to find out that Ellie knew Veronica. “I guess all’s well that ends well, huh?”

“Until the next time, anyway.” Erik muttered, one hand firmly planted on Veronica’s head.

“Yeah, I know how you feel. I’m glad I could help out.” Vince left soon after, saying that he needed to get his own kids settled before he went to bed, but not before pointing them in the right direction to the inn, and promising to pick them up before the first match in the morning.

The rest of the evening passed in a relatively quiet manner, by their standards at any rate. An attempt to get Veronica to stop fighting everyone who annoyed her fell flat, everyone had something that wasn’t stew for dinner, and all of them tried to avoid thinking about what would happen if they did need to rely on Plan B.

* * *

The next morning saw Ellie waiting for Vince at the inn’s entrance, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She and Serena had woken up early to try and tie her hair into something that wouldn’t be grabbed, but Sylvando had gotten involved at some point, and now it was in a tight braided bun with a purple ribbon threaded in, because Sylvando never missed a chance to make something both practical and pretty. The problem was that it was taking her a while to get used to how it felt.

The end result was that when Vince came by, she was tilting her head this way and that to ease some of the strain, looking like some kind of shop mascot. “Feeling alright, partner?”

Ellie brought her head to a halt, “Just a bit nervous, I guess.”

“I’d rather have a nervous teammate than an overconfident one.” Waving one hand, Vince started leading the way. The rest of the party had gone ahead so the twins could get decent seats in the stands, so it was just them. “I’ve had both in my time, and an overconfident partner nearly always goes too far too fast, but a nervous partner actually pays attention.”

“Well, I’ll try and stay nervous then.” Vince chuckled, and the rest of the walk passed in a companionable quiet.

The peace came to an end when they got to the arena. As the former champion, Vince was hounded by his fans, and a few people tried to ask Ellie questions or get her to sign something (which she didn’t really understand, since they hadn’t seen her fight yet). Luckily, they weren’t so excited to see them that they didn’t forget there was an actual tournament to get into, and after a few words from Vince the crowd let them through with no further interference.

Naturally the chaos only continued when they got onto the arena stage and saw who they were facing. The Underdigger looked just as happy about the draw as Ellie was, but his feelings were soothed by the plan he quickly relayed to his partner, “We wallop the kid first, then we move on to Vince, alright? That way, we might actually stand a chance o’ gettin’ out of ‘ere alive.”

The Abominable Showman agreed. “Shure thing! We're gonna win thish eashy, and then all the girlsh are gonna be shwooning over me, you'll shee! Shlurrrp!” Drool flew everywhere as he spoke, she and Vince backing up a little just in case. It was still a close call.

Ellie fought to keep her face neutral, but as she swapped a look with Vince, she knew they were thinking the same thing: This was going to be a long day.

* * *

After their comments, Ellie was happy to get the last hit on both their opponents, but the smile didn’t stay on her face for long. Erik’s match had started right after hers, and he had been up against the woman and the old man from yesterday. The bout barely lasted five minutes, and Erik, despite trying every trick he knew (including, Ellie noticed, trying to yank the woman’s hair) was sent flying from several painful kicks and punches.

At least Ellie knew their names now. The MC had taken a fair amount of glee in rubbing the pair’s victory in Erik’s face.

Sylvando still had a match to get through, so after a quick goodbye to Vince, who was leaving anyway, Ellie hurried to get her friend to Serena, not even taking her mask off first. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Erik protested nasally. The point fell fairly flat given that he was already forming some impressive bruises, and his nose was gushing with blood. “Come on Ellie, stop fussing.”

“Nope, not this time.”

“Fine, then you keep Veronica off me. You know she’ll have something to say about all this.”

She did. Several things in fact, and all of them probably would’ve been quite cutting if it wasn’t for the hand Ellie had clapped to her mouth the second it had opened. The muffled sounds were a strange contrast to Erik’s own grunts of pain as his skull was restored to its previous state. Serena apologising each time, and had anybody actually bothered to look at them, Ellie thought they would’ve made quite the scene.

“I see you took my advice.”

The four of them all fell silent, looking Jade’s way with varying degrees of annoyance (Erik and Veronica) and curiosity (Ellie and Serena). The old man, Rab, was standing next to her, and both of them seemed to have left their previous smugness in the arena. Rab even seemed to be watching Serena’s healing, though as to why, Ellie didn’t know.

Realising Jade’s attention was very much on her, and that she still hadn’t answered, Ellie hastily cleared her throat and released Veronica. “I did. And now I see why you were so concerned.” Erik grunted when she looked at him, but with Serena holding his jaw shut that was as much as he _could_ do.

If she’d hoped it might get Erik an apology for the sheer amount of healing he was now being subjected to, Ellie had thought wrong. Jade’s attention was firmly on her, as if Ellie was some kind of mystery for her to sort out. Feeling slightly defensive, Ellie cleared her throat again, “Is there something wrong?”

“Ye know ye still have yer mask on, right lassie?” Rab asked, his moustache twitching in amusement.

Face heating up in embarrassment, Ellie all but ripped the mask off, fumbling enough that it was a miracle that it landed in her satchel rather than the ground. There was a soft snort from Veronica, but thankfully no comment, and when she looked back up, Jade still hadn’t looked away.

Instead, both she and Rab drew in sharp breaths, and for a horrifying second, Ellie was scared of what they’d do next. The moment passed quickly though, and Rab managed to recover enough to cough, which seemed to snap Jade out of it as well. “Forgive us lass. Ye uh…Ye look like someone we knew once.”

His choice of words didn’t escape Ellie, and she awkwardly looked away. “I’m sorry.”

Jade shook her head, and changed the subject, “We actually came over to warn you. People have been going missing and they’re all involved with the tournament.” Any wish for small talk had vanished, Jade clearly wishing to finish this as soon as she could. “I’d keep close eye on your partner.”

“What, why?” Neither of the pair answered, instead doing their absolute best to make themselves scarce without looking like that’s what they were trying to do.

Stuck for what they were supposed to do in the situation, the party let them go. “Does anyone have any idea what just happened?”

“The Luminary’s improved her ability to make people freeze with a single look?” Erik snorted, regretting it when Serena moved onto his nose next. It had been kicked out of place with a nasty crunch, and it went back into place with a similar one. At that point, his patience with the healing session passed, and he gently, but firmly pushed her hands away when she tried to stop the renewed blood flow.

Even Veronica couldn’t hold back a wince, though she managed to stay on subject, “Do you think Vince is in trouble?”

“It certainly sounds that way.” Serena worried, finally taking the hint and leaving Erik’s side, though not without handing him a handkerchief. That much he allowed, especially when Veronica froze a small part of it. “I wonder why they didn’t just say that though.” 

Ellie shrugged, already moving over to the stairs. It shouldn't be that hard to find where the orphanage was, and if she did get lost, surely there'd be someone who could point her in the right direction. "I don't know, but I'm not about to wait until the last minute to find out." 

* * *

After a few minutes of wandering the lower levels aimlessly, Ellie struck gold when she overheard a pair of children argue over who would play their Uncle Vince in their game. Once she was sure they were talking about the same Vince she was looking for, and had explained the situation to them, she soon had two willing guides. Along the way, they regaled her with the story of the last tournament, the girl in the middle of describing the party they’d had to celebrate when the boy cut her off with a shout, “There he is! Hey Uncle Vince, this lady was looking for you!”

On the steps of what looked like a grand cathedral falling into disrepair, Vince spun on the spot, just in time to catch the boy when he threw himself at his guardian, “Careful there, kiddo. What if I hadn’t been ready to catch you, eh?” Ruffling the boy’s hair to show he wasn’t really upset, Vince waited until Ellie and the girl were close enough that he wouldn’t have to shout, “Hey there partner. What’s up?”

Ellie went to speak, but was interrupted by the cathedral door opening, a boy about Ellie’s age standing there, “I thought I heard you!” He turned to look back inside, “Hey guys, Uncle Vince is back!”

Excited shouts erupted from inside, Vince rubbing the back of his neck with the hand not busy lowering the squirming boy back down. While the pair who had helped Ellie ran in to join their friends, he waved towards the door, “Seein’ as you’re here, why don’t you come inside? The kids don’t get that many visitors. That’s if it’s alright with you. They can get pretty…”

Another child poked her head outside, a small frown on her face “Uncle Vince, aren’t you coming?”

“Excited.” Vince finished with a weak grin. “I’m coming, I’m coming.” He went inside, leaving the door open as an offer. Feeling slightly nervous, not wanting to talk about something so serious in front of so many kids, Ellie followed, nudging the door closed behind her.

Just as she’d suspected, it was a cathedral, complete with an altar that a little boy was climbing down from, and pews cluttered with well loved toys and books. In the middle of the aisle, Vince was surrounded by a small crowd of youngsters, all chattering excitedly, while the older boy stood off to the side slightly, next to a girl of around the same age. It was clearly a common scene, and watching Vince interact with each child, and asking the older ones if there had been any problems while he’d been out, Ellie got the feeling that there was it wasn’t glory that kept him fighting in the tournaments.

At long last, he was able to separate himself, around about the same time that the children noticed Ellie standing there, “Uncle Vince, who’s that?”

Waving Ellie closer, Vince gave her a pat on the back, “This is Ellie, my partner this year. Now, she’s here to talk about something important, so you play quietly for a little bit, and we’ll see if she can stay for dinner.”

There was a hidden plea in his voice, and as Ellie nodded, a fevered chattering broke out amongst the mass of children until they remembered his instruction and started to part. Some followed the helpers through the doorways either side of the main hall, and the miniature priest returned to his post. It was probably as private as they were going to get, but Ellie was grateful when Vince ushered them to a pew in the back, and started talking in a tone that wouldn’t be easily overheard, “I was born and raised in this orphanage, man. That's actually why I fight—wanted to raise some money, give a little somethin' back, you know?” Ellie nodded, and he went on, only now he was frowning, “Trouble is, fightin's all I'm good at. If I stop winnin', these kids stop eatin'...”

Though she had guessed as much, Ellie was now struck by the question of just what would happen if they did win. A magical branch wouldn’t do Vince any favours, so he’d probably want to sell it, and split the money. Even though she wasn’t looking forwards to chasing the Rainbough again, Ellie knew they wouldn’t be able to buy it outright, and the prospect of taking food right from under these kids’ noses just made her stomach sink.

Despite knowing she was here to talk about something, Vince barely let her get a word in edgeways the whole night, only pausing while he was eating, and then Ellie was kept busy by on child or another asking her a question that she had to answer. As Vince had said, they didn’t get that many visitors, and having a new face around, and with new stories to tell was enough to keep them all chattering for hours, even when it was time for them to go to bed.

Ellie had made herself go back to the main hall then, not wanting to interrupt their routine any further than she had. After the last dormitory of children had been tucked in, Vince joined her there, sighing heavily, “I know why you’re really here. I’ve heard about the missin’ fighters too.”

Glad that they were getting to the main issue, Ellie nodded, “Have you heard anything other than rumours?”

“Only that it’s just the fighters who get knocked out of the tournament that are vanishin’. That’s why the officials won’t cancel the whole thing and investigate.”

Reminding herself that anyone who wanted to get at Erik would have to get through the others, Ellie went to tell Vince about what Jade had said, but cut herself off at the last second. Not only didn’t they know exactly what she had meant, but Vince was already worried about winning the tournament. No need to add to his pile.

Naturally of course, that was when they both heard a crashing noise coming from Vince’s room, closely followed by screams from the dormitories.


	11. Investigations and Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapped up with trying to solve the mystery of the missing fighters and the stress of staying in the competition, Jade has no time to waste getting distracted. How exactly she's supposed to do that with such a familiar face showing up at every opportunity, she has no idea.

Breaking into an orphanage was one of those things that, even with the proper context, wasn’t something you could easily admit to, no matter how impressive your escape was. And since she’d managed to jump out the window, clutching a few vials of evidence and get around the nearest corner before she heard Vince’s bellowing, Jade was willing to bet her getaway counted as impressive.

It was slightly soured by the fact that it wasn’t just Vince that had almost caught her. His partner had almost fallen out the window, craning her neck for anybody suspicious in the area. Jade’s breath caught in her throat until Vince pulled her back inside. While they (loudly) discussed who would be low enough to rob an orphanage, Jade made her escape proper.

It might’ve been interesting to hang around to see if Vince would admit to what had been stolen, but Jade highly doubted he would actually be that trusting so soon. Her opinion was one Rab seemed to share, though he didn’t actually say it, preferring to focus on the bottles she had managed to get from the orphanage.

“The poor lass probably knows about as much as anybody else does about the disappearances.” He hummed. He uncorked one of the vials to sneak a look at the contents, and after getting a good idea, hastily corked it up again. “Aye, just as I thought. That lad’s up to no good.”

“I wouldn’t say no good.” Jade pointed out, unsure why she felt the need to defend someone they suspected of being a serial kidnapper. “I think he’s doing it for all those kids. If he is the one taking the fighters, rather than just drinking the essence, what happens to them?”

“I dinnae know. Hopefully someone else will step in, but he cannae go on like this. Sooner or later, this stuff will kill him anyway, and then where will they be?”

Her stomach sinking, Jade looked back to the vials, trying not to think too hard on their contents. “Do you think he understands how dangerous that stuff actually is?”

Rab shook his head, “Maybe he does, and thinks it’s worth the risk, or maybe someone took advantage of a desperate man.” He sighed, “Either way, I’m not looking forwards to tomorrow.”

* * *

Now that they knew what they did, she and Rab kept a close eye on Vince. That it gave them a convenient excuse to ignore his partner was just a bonus really, though Jade couldn’t help eavesdropping when the girl was stopped by another competitor. Jade vaguely recognised him as part of the Bullion Boys, and wondered if she should step in before deciding not to risk it.

“And where were you last night, hm? Or should I be speaking to your partner?”

The girl blushed under her mask. “It’s not like that. There was a break in last night, and by the time Vince got the kids settled again, it was too dark to walk back alone.” The girl herself looked like she’d had the bare minimum of sleep, and though it was in the same style it had been the day before, her hair looked decidedly tired as well.

“I know honey, I was only teasing. Did you find anything out?”

The MC stated calling names before the girl could answer, but she had enough time to shake her head before they followed their respective partners upstairs. Giving them a chance to get arranged, Jade and Rab followed along with the other fighters, wondering if there was any chance that Vince would give himself away this time.

If Jade’s little visit the night before had spooked the champion in any way, he didn’t let on. If anything, he seemed to give even less care about hiding his secret, knocking back a vial of the stolen energy as if it was fresh water. It certainly seemed to lend him an edge against the Bullion Boys, though it probably helped that Sterling Sylva was concentrating most of his energy on the girl. The pair were almost playful with each other, but there was no doubt that they were both playing for keeps. At last, Sylva overswung, and the girl took advantage to kick him square in the chest, sending him to the ground. Her sword tip rested gently on his throat, pinning him with no real force.

There was something almost proud in his form as he conceded defeat and let the girl pull him up, pinching her cheek in a teasing manner. It completely contradicted his earlier claims that he didn’t know the girl, yet Jade couldn’t help smiling at the display. She couldn’t dwell on it for too long though, as the arena was quickly cleared, and it would be her and Rab’s turn next.

Compared to yesterday, the morning passed in a blur, Jade keeping her mind on the competition, and taking note of every move Vince made. In the chaos, it was almost a surprise when there was only the final left to contend with. And to nobody’s surprise, it would be them against Vince and his partner.

She and Rab had already agreed on the plan. While Rab kept Vince busy, she would deal with the girl, quickly and easily. Jade wasn’t going to enjoy attacking her, not when she looked just like Queen Eleanor did, but she was standing between them and the Rainbough. Better to take her out early, before the memories could colour Jade’s judgement.

The mask helped there, at least. It gave Jade something to focus on, rather than familiar eyes.

When the girl didn’t go down right away, Jade was surprised. After a few minutes, she was impressed. The girl clearly hadn’t been sitting idle throughout the tournament, she’d been watching. Speed, she stopped with a strong defence, and physical blows she either took or deflected to one side. What should taken seconds spread out to last as long as most ordinary bouts did, and the longer she took here, the longer Rab was stuck with keeping Vince at bay.

As long as Jade could keep the girl from causing any real damage with her sword, she knew she would have an advantage. It was just a matter of taking it.

The girl’s hair, already loose from her previous fight was steadily coming undone. With every sharp movement Jade forced her into, another pin slipped loose, until with one jerkish dodge to the side, the entire thing uncoiled, the braid almost slapping the girl on its way down. Her eyes widened, but it wasn’t like she could stop the fight to fix it, so she swung it behind her, and carried on swinging.

Jade managed to ignore the easy target for a good while, but the girl’s swings were starting to get too close for comfort. The desire to win was just as strong in her as it was in Jade, neither of them willing to give the other a chance to pull ahead.

Except then Jade’s chance appeared. A kick aimed at the girl’s head was expertly parried by the flat of the blade, Jade using the momentum to twist behind her, one hand stretched out. Her fingers closed around the braid, and she took a second to make sure her grip was decent before yanking with as much strength as she dared.

As predicted, the girl let out a yowl of pain, and the stands erupted with noise, some booing the dirty move, others roaring in approval. No doubt the girl’s friends were in the former camp, but as Jade had pointed out, in a competition allowing any type of weapon or magic, the officials could hardly call foul on a little hair pulling. And she _had_ warned the girl.

People underestimated how much having your hair pulled could hurt. Most of them were too used to playful tugs to know how it really felt having your head ache at the very roots, while your opponent didn’t need anything more than a secure hold to keep you in that state of pain.

Sharp nails planted themselves in Jade’s skin, the girl having moved her sword to the other hand so she could try scratching her way to freedom. Jade grit her teeth and tightened her grip, following it up with a good kick to the girl’s left wrist. It didn’t give in immediately, so Jade tried again, only this time the girl surprised her by willingly dropping the weapon to try and grab Jade’s boot mid-kick.

Had she actually managed it; it might’ve been a good move. Jade would’ve been forced to choose between keeping her balance or her hold, and either one might’ve been enough to give the girl an advantage. As it was, Jade recovered from the feint too quickly to be grabbed, and yet still, the move worked.

Her eyes on the girl’s left hand, Jade barely noticed when her fingers, just as numb as the rest of her, released their grip enough for the girl to pull her hair free. Her eyes stayed there, even when the girl spun on her heel, sweeping her sword from the floor in one fluid movement. They stayed there until a shout from Rab made her pull away, too late to save him from Vince, but just in time to catch the flat of the man’s claws right on her temple.

Her vision went blurry, and she stumbled like a drunkard, but she managed to avoid going down until the last minute, giving her enough time to look at the girl just once more. She needed to know if she’d imagined it, and almost laughed when she realised that she hadn’t. The girl just stared at her in concern, even shouting out a warning to watch out. Jade was still staring when Vince gave it another go.

Staring at the girl who looked so much like Queen Eleanor.

Staring at the girl who had the mark on her hand.

Staring at her Luminellie, all grown up and _alive._

Somehow, losing the tournament and the Rainbough wasn’t the bitter pill it might’ve been earlier.

* * *

When she woke up again, it was to see Rab had gotten there before her. Shouting from the arena upstairs told her that the celebrations were still going strong, but the old man was staring into space, barely noticing when she sat up. Jade knew there was no point asking, but she did anyway, scared it was all some adrenaline fuelled dream. “Did you see it too?”

“Aye.” Rab nodded, still staring at the wall.

“What do we do now?”

“We do as planned.” He ignored her noise of protest, finally turning to look at her, and at the sight of his watery eyes, Jade kept quiet. “And then, we bring our girl home.” 


	12. Where It All Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rainbough is so close that the party can almost feel it. They just have to go to Dundrasil to get it.
> 
> The only problem is that Ellie's not sure about how she's supposed to feel about the long lost kingdom, only that she's not sure she can take any more surprises.

_Come and meet me in Dundrasil. I've something to show you. Don't worry about the Rainbough—it's safe with me._

The note was short, to the point and left no room for argument. And really, it wasn’t like they could argue, because what else could they do? They needed the Rainbough, Rab and Jade knew they needed the Rainbough, and unless some sort of miracle appeared to give them another option, then it was off to Dundrasil they went. And so, after a long walk composed mainly of bickering about whether this was a trap or not, and a few monster attacks here and there to keep things interesting, there they were.

Sylvando was talking, telling the others the same story he had told her in the Warrior’s Rest, but his voice barely registered as more than a light hum in Ellie’s ears. It wasn’t just that she’d already heard this once, or because she was still keeping an eye out for any sign that this was some kind of elaborate trap. It wasn’t even because there were two dragons occupying the main square now, and she was trying to work out whether it was worth fighting them, or sneaking around the edge.

There was a slow, sinking feeling in her stomach, and she couldn’t tell what it meant. She didn’t think it was grief, because she felt no tears pricking at her eyes, but it wasn’t the distant sympathy she’d felt as they’d gone through the ruins of Zwaardrust.

This had been her home once. Her parents had died trying to save her. Her people had died in these streets...And she had no idea how she was supposed to feel about that.

Vaguely, she heard Veronica mentioning something about torches, pointing towards the castle. Just like she said, there were two huge torches lit over the gateway, and Ellie briefly wondered how Rab had done that before guessing it had been Jade. There was no sign of the old man or his partner though, so there wasn’t much else they could do but get over there.

Erik paused when she went to pass him, gently grabbing her by the elbow, holding her in place until the others had gone ahead a little. Serena did glance back, but rather than showing surprise that they weren’t following, she sent Erik a small nod that the thief returned before turning back around. Now that she was paying more attention, she noticed that Sylvando and Veronica seemed to be overly casual as they chattered, doing an almost passable impression of two people too oblivious to notice that they had left someone behind.

Guessing she had missed some kind of agreement while she’d been in her own head, Ellie gave Erik a raised eyebrow, inviting him to explain. He obliged easily enough, “Just say the word, and we’ll wait for them back at that last campsite. You don’t have to do this again, if you don’t want to.”

It only took a second to realise what he meant, and that feeling in her stomach only got worse, this time by the addition of guilt. He was trying to spare her like he had in Cobblestone, too scared to let her go in case she ran off again. The others clearly thought the same, yet here she was, unable to muster anything for this place beyond a slightly iffy tummy that could’ve been due to that morning’s breakfast for all she knew.

_Maybe you really are an unfeeling monster, and you just didn’t notice until now._

Slowly, Ellie pulled her elbow free, and took a deep breath, “I’ll be alright. Promise.”

Her best friend frowned at her, warring with his own thoughts before huffing a sigh, “Fine, but the second you want to leave…”

“I’ll say something.” Before he could say anything else, Ellie hurried to join the others, giving them all a hopefully convincing smile as Erik caught up.

They did try to sneak around the edges, if only because they didn’t want to risk that this was a trap that they’d have to fight their way out of, but while the first dragon was happy to ignore them, the second wasn’t. It took several dragon slashes to bring the beast down, and any element of surprise they hadn’t lost by standing in the main gateway for so long was well and truly gone.

Probably for the best, since Erik’s first reaction to seeing that the staircase that would take them up to the castle was covered in rubble that they would have a hard time climbing over, was to curse loudly and in what sounded like at least two separate languages. “Well now what?”

“Well first, we find some soap for that mouth of yours.” Veronica scolded, before turning to regard the stairs. “Other than that, we might get up there by tonight if we start climbing now.”

“And let whoever’s up there find the really good ambush points? Great idea.”

In what was now second nature, Ellie tuned out the ensuing argument, and sent a helpless shrug towards Serena and Sylvando. “Any ideas?”

“I don’t think Rab would be able to get up there on his own, and it would be quite risky for Jade to try carrying him the whole way.” Serena hummed, biting her lip in thought. “Perhaps there’s another way to enter the castle?”

“The sewers maybe?” She really hoped it wouldn’t come to that. She’d had enough traipsing through sewers to last a lifetime, and wanted to spare the others that experience for as long as possible.

With one eye on Erik and Veronica to referee, Sylvando went to answer, but suddenly snapped his head towards the way they’d come, a smile lighting up his whole face. “Maybe not the sewers, but I think you’re not far off, Ellie!” He pointed, and they followed his finger all the way to a nearby well…

And one little slime who looked very nervous now that his attempt to slide away had been foiled by all the eyes suddenly on him.

* * *

Ellie wasn’t sure why climbing into wells was so much better than exploring sewers. It wasn’t the smell, because while wells weren’t quite as bad as sewers, they did have a unique sort of scent to them that wasn’t that much better. It probably had something to do with how much less suffocating they felt, but as stated, Ellie really didn’t understand her preference.

Regardless of her thoughts on the subject, the well did take them up to the castle as the slime had promised. At least, that’s what Erik promised, right before those still at the bottom of the well heard him call out to someone else, “Yeah, we’re coming, alright? The rope can only take one at a time.” He poked his head back over the rim, “Well, it sure looks like we’re the only ones up here. Hurry up, before his friend decides we should have another round to pass the time.”

“Ach, she’s got duties elsewhere.” Rab’s face joined Erik at the top, his eyes landing on Ellie almost immediately. “She’ll be glad to see you though, as am I.” It was hard to see if he was hiding anything from that far away, “Now come on then, I believe we have some business to attend to?”

Sylvando offered the rope to Ellie, holding the bottom while she wriggled her way up. Eventually, Rab stopped staring at her in favour of watching the others come up, and the second Serena was over the rim, Erik cleared his throat, “Alright, we’re all here like you asked. Now where’s the Rainbough?”

“Safe enough, don’t ye worry about that.” Rab deflected.

“Well, hand it over already! We need it!”

“Oh, ye do, do ye?” A sudden glint sparked in Rab’s eye, one that brought memories of Jasper rolling right back, and sure enough, before Ellie could make for the well again, he turned his attention to her, pinning her in place, “I suppose that’s because this wee lass is the Luminary?”

“Wait, how-“

“You saw my hand.” Ellie said over Erik’s spluttering. It was the obvious answer, given how Jade had frozen up when she’d seen it.

She was still relieved when Rab nodded, stepping around Erik to stand right before her, “Aye. And let me tell ye, when I saw that mark, my heart skipped more than a few beats!” And then, with a warmth in his voice that would be hard to fake, “I thought ye’d died years back, lassie. I thought we’d lost you for good.”

“You know Ellie then? From before the tournament?” It was Serena who’d spoken, and Ellie would’ve turned and hugged her if it wasn’t for the beating in her own chest. She didn’t know if Rab’s little revelation was a good thing.

“It might be easier to explain if I show ye something first. If ye wouldn’t mind indulging an auld man for a wee while?”

It wasn’t as if they had much choice in the matter, but since he had at least offered the illusion, they all nodded, and followed close behind as he set off further into the ruins. As they walked, he gave them a brief little history of how Dundrasil had been when it was still a great city, and even though he was carefully to avoid Erik’s question of who he really was, Rab did give away that he’d had duties at one point, but that he’d been able to retire from them by the time Dundrasil had been attacked.

It wasn’t much, but Ellie made a small note of it, and glanced at Sylvando to see if he had any insight. Seeing him as deep in thought as she had been, Ellie tuned back into the conversation, only just missing the moment that the last piece fell into place, Sylvando glancing between her and Rab in awe.

It seemed to take mere seconds to reach what Rab wanted to show them. A large stone roughly carved into a pointed shape and with words engraved into the face that he stopped them before. They didn’t need to ask, but Veronica did, clearly hoping they were wrong. Instead Rab nodded, “Aye. This is where the King and Queen of Dundrasil are buried. Yer parents,lass… and my daughter and son-on-law.” Up until that point, Rab had been staring at the grave, but with his last words he had turned, and Ellie was stunned to see her own uncertainty reflected in his face.

Her stomach twinged when he held out a hand, and even as she went to stand by her grandfather, Ellie wanted to cry, if only out of relief because she finally felt _something_ that wasn’t confusion or uncertainty. Even as Rab told them how he had been travelling to find out why Dundrasil had been destroyed, and that King Carnelian had something to do with it, she was struggling with the new tightness around her lungs.

“Eleanor, my girl…Irwin…I found her…I found our girl…She wasnae lost to us after all…” Head still bowed, and her eyes clenched shut, Ellie didn’t need to see to know that Rab was crying too. It was all in his voice, and the way he squeezed her hand tightly, almost like he was too scared to let her go again.

She knew, because she was doing the exact same thing.

* * *

With their usual level of tact, the others had made themselves scarce soon after the ritual concluded. Or maybe it had been Jade to suggest they step away for a while. Jade who was apparently the lost Princess of Heliodor, if Ellie wasn’t reading the clues wrong. And why not? Today had already yielded so many surprises.

Either way, as the last butterfly floated up to Yggdrasil, fluttering its glowing wings over their heads for a few seconds longer, she and Rab were alone. For a little while, they stood in companionable silence, watching the procession’s journey before Rab let out a low sigh and turned away, all but collapsing on the altar steps.

“I’m alright lass.” He assured, patting the hand that she stretched out to him, “It’s just been an eventful day, that’s all.”

“I know that feeling.” Ellie joined him, sitting one step lower so they were roughly the same height.

“Aye, I suppose I did spring this on you a little too quickly.”

“I’m glad you did.” Something occurred to her then, and under her grandfather’s curious gaze, Ellie dug around in her satchel, running her fingers across the envelope, searching for the lump she knew was there. She withdrew the right envelope simply holding it for a little while. Then, with shaking hands, she passed her mother’s letter to Rab, “I found these after escaping Heliodor. It’s…it’s a long story, and I don’t think I can tell it all tonight. But even after reading it and listening to stories, it didn’t seem real to me. _They_ didn’t seem real.”

Cobblestone wasn’t big on secrets. She’d always known that her mum wasn’t her mum in the same way that Gemma’s mum was her mum, it had just never mattered. Grandad had only ever said that her birth parents had loved her very much, and had taken her fishing so he had an excuse to show her where he’d found her bassinet. Ellie had never asked for more, because she’d never needed more. At least, she hadn’t needed anything more, until everything else was taken away, and even then, the last thing she’d wanted was more ghosts.

Rab didn’t have to ask who she was speaking about, not when he withdrew the pendant as well as the letter. His breath caught, and he cradled the gem in one hand, waiting for her to continue.

Ellie swallowed roughly, “They were real today. All of them were.”

She sat in silence while Rab read the letter through, knowing when he finished by how his eyes closed in pain. “So, this letter’s why ye went to see King Carnelian, eh? If only she’d known…I’m sorry lassie…Ye’ve been through so much…”

“Maybe, but I’ve never been alone.” From the beginning, there had been Erik to keep her on her feet and moving. Then there was Veronica, to keep her on track, and Serena, to make sure she took a break every now and then. Finally, there was Sylvando, who never stopped surprising her.

“No, ye haven’t.” Rab cupped her face in one hand, and pressed a kiss to her forehead, “And ye never will be, I promise.”

Dundrasil hadn’t been her home in years, and it would be a long time before the word would mean anything but Cobblestone to her. But for a few, warm moments at the base of an altar, Ellie felt like she really had come home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one I was unsure of. Still, I'm glad to say I'm about three chapters ahead of myself, so I can ensure regular updates for most of February at least, haha.


	13. The Not So Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's round two of their conflict with the knights of Heliodor, but with Sir Hendrik joining his men in the field, it's not going to be such an easy victory.

When everyone else vanished so she and Rab could talk without being overheard, Ellie had assumed they’d only go so far, maybe chat with Jade a little bit. Instead, when she went looking for them, so they could all discuss their next moves, she found out that the others had already made their way back down to the ruins to explore. “I can’t see them finding anything beyond more rubble, but they were quite keen to look around.” Jade explained. She was the only one who had stayed close by, and was more than happy to help round the others up.

“Erik will probably stumble onto something.” They stepped out from the tunnel leading to the altar, and at the sound of distant thunder, Ellie pulled her hood up, just about managing it before the first drops landed.

With a glance at Jade, who had no such protection, Ellie wondered if she should offer to find the others alone, but the other girl shook her head before she could. “It’ll take more than a little rain to bother me.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. After a few metres, she spoke again, “It was raining like this the last time I ever saw Lady Eleanor.”

Ellie didn’t know what to say, but eventually settled on something. “Were you close to her?”

“Very. My own mother died not long after I was born, so in a sense, Lady Eleanor was the only mother I knew. She would read me stories, take on picnics or to pick flowers…I loved her so much.” Jade exhaled, barely seeming to notice the next crack of thunder, even as Ellie glanced that way. It was getting closer. “When I heard that she was going to have a baby, I was so excited to meet you that I told everyone in Heliodor that I was getting a little brother or sister.” She grinned, lost in the memories. “My father had fun dispelling the rumours right up to when we came to Dundrasil for your presentation.”

Still very unsure of what to say, Ellie instead kept her eyes ahead, feeling her blood run cold. “Jade, look.” Torches were flickering in the main ruins, far too many for it to just be the others exploring.

“It has to be Heliodor. They’re the only kingdom who can send that many people out on a manhunt. We need to warn your friends.”

Ellie grabbed her by the arm before she could go too far ahead, “If they’re down there, they’ll have found somewhere to hide. We need to get Rab, and do the same.” No doubt he could list a hundred places where they could hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.

Jade barely seemed to think about it before nodding, turning on her heel to run up the slope they’d just come down. With one last look and a desperate prayer that she wasn’t wrong, Ellie followed, only to be almost immediately pulled behind a nearby rock. A hand planted itself on her mouth, Jade shushing her before pointing up the path.

There were already soldiers milling about, and the question of how they got there was soon answered by Jade’s angry hiss, “They must’ve taken the back way up.”

_So, you didn’t need to go traipsing through the well after all. This is why you need to look around more._

Once she was sure Ellie would stay quiet, Jade pulled her hand away, watching as another torch bearer joined the small cluster of guards. “Any luck?”

“Not a soul. How about the Darkspawn?”

“No sign of her.”

One of the Heliodorian soldiers let out a sound of frustration, “They have to be around here somewhere, you all saw that butterfly thing. It shouldn’t be this hard to find one girl!”

“Over here!” Ellie hunched down, but it was too late. Another soldier, one with boots covered with algae, was pointing right at her hiding place. “The Darkspawn’s over here!”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” Jade snapped, jumping over the rock to charge the soldier before his friends could provide backup. Ellie hurried to join her, but by the time she got there, Jade had moved onto her second opponent, leaving the first a quivering wreck on the ground.

He scrabbled for something at his waist, and Ellie had just enough time to panic before he put the horn to his lips and let out a single, sharp blast. “Jade, we need to move!”

“Go on ahead!” Jade dodged a sword strike and kicked at the soldier who’d tried, pushing off him to start on the next man.

“I’m not leaving you behind!”

Throwing her an annoyed look, Jade looked around at the soldiers that were left, and hurriedly kicked the one stopping her from going forwards, bouncing off him to do the same to the others, before charging away before they could recover.

“If we can get to the stairs, we can get into the town square while they’ll have to travel through the well, or take the back path to the altar.” Jade explained, grabbing Ellie’s arm when the younger girl slipped in the mud, and holding on until she was steady again. “I’m not letting them take you, I promise.”

Ellie’s answer was lost under what she thought was another rumble of thunder, but was proven seconds later to be the next stage of this nightmare. She and Jade instinctively ducked when they heard the horse jump, the beast’s hoof clearing their heads by inches before setting down right ahead of them, cutting off their forwards route, while the soldiers hurried to do the same for their retreat.

Looking at the phantom rider, Ellie felt her stomach lurch in fear. Astride a black horse in beautiful but intimidating armour, Sir Hendrik glared down from the saddle, “I have you at last, Darkspawn. There is nowhere left to run!” At a gesture, his men fanned out into a circle, holding them in the centre with swords and spears. When absolutely certain they were properly pinned, Hendrik dismounted, and pulled his own sword, “Men, leave the Darkspawn to me, and deal with the girl.”

He swung, and as she ducked down to avoid it, Ellie was nearly knocked down by the circle of soldiers moving so that only Jade was still inside, leaving her free but stuck with Hendrik. Scrambling to her feet, Ellie drew her own sword and tried to strike, but Hendrik was too fast, and she was forced on the defensive. Their blades clashed, but Hendrik’s greater strength forced her to keep sidestepping as he pushed the lock, the pair of them turning in some mockery of a dance until they had nearly completely swapped positions.

With her back to the cliff and its near endless drop, Ellie had just enough time to notice what he had done before the fight started in earnest.

As an opponent, Hendrik was as different from Jasper as she was to Gemma. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was still hoping to take her alive, Ellie didn’t doubt that he could’ve sliced her in two with just a few strong strikes. He parried every blow she aimed for him, and never stopped advancing forwards. Behind him, Jade was still putting up a good show against his men, even knocking a few to the ground, but Ellie was losing more territory with every movement. The cliff edge had to be close, but Ellie didn’t dare stop looking at Hendrik to see how much further she could go. If she was being honest, she didn’t want to know.

It was almost a relief when Hendrik got bored of humouring her attempts to fight. With one swing, far stronger than any he had sent at her yet, he slammed his sword into hers hard enough that the impact travelled right up her arms, striking again before she could recover. Her sword flew straight from her hands, clattering somewhere behind her.

The move was quickly followed by a boot planting itself into her stomach, and Ellie couldn’t help but notice that this was the second time she’d fallen for that, before her body hit the ground again. Her head, which had only just landed on the cliff rather than thin air, was ringing with pain, and the sudden nausea was not helped by everything turning blurry.

“Is this all the dreaded Child of Darkness can muster? Pathetic!” Ellie blinked furiously, trying to clear the rain from her eyes, or force her head to start working properly again, but by the time the ringing had calmed down, Hendrik was standing over her, sword tip resting on her throat. If she so much as swallowed… “The chase ends here.” Lightning crashed behind Hendrik, illuminating the knight and revealing the sheer hatred on his face. But his voice was almost soft, even as he pressed harder on her throat and let the bead of blood fall down her neck, “Eliza of Dundrasil, you will yield, or be cut down here.”

In a brief moment of insanity, Ellie almost did. Not like she had before with Jasper, but honest surrender. Anything to escape the nightmare. Except then, there was another flash of lightning, her blurry eyes only just making out a metallic shine.

Her sword was right there. Close enough to grab if she got a single second free of the blade at her neck. But Hendrik wouldn’t fall for any tricks, not when she had already played that card. Then how could she-

“Hendrik! Don’t you dare!” Jade’s shout came at just the right time, and as soon as Hendrik looked away, relaxing his hold on his sword, Ellie twisted her body and lunged for the hilt just inches away. She let herself smile when she felt the leather on her fingers, but her moment had already passed.

A black metal boot slammed down onto her wrist, and this time, Ellie didn’t hide her scream. It echoed, casting everything else, even the thunder into near silence. The only thing that could still be made out was the crack coming from under Hendrik’s boot. It only lasted a second, Hendrik drawing away as if surprised by what he had done. She might’ve laughed at that, if she wasn’t too busy trying to pull her wrist back to her body.

_Okay…kind of asked for that one. Still, wouldn’t have expected that from Heliodor’s golden boy._

Ellie pushed herself as far away from Hendrik as she could get, cradling her wrist, and staring at Hendrik with as much defiance as she could muster. The stone was weakening beneath her, small cracks appearing in the gap between them. “Go on then.” She whispered, holding her head high.

When Hendrik hesitated, held back by something impossible to see, Ellie had just enough time to laugh at him before the cracks grew, tipping her section off the cliff back dangerously. Her sword slid out of her reach and plummeted to the ground below. Ellie listened for the sound of it landing, but if it was there, it was hidden under all the rain. It wasn’t the most promising sign, yet she remained where she was, even when the cliff split completely, and she was flying through the air, just out of Hendrik’s grasp.

As she dropped, Ellie closed her eyes, preparing for what promised to be a very painful landing, only to feel arms close around her, pulling her close. “I won’t let you go again!” Jade promised, before twisting them, shielding Ellie from the worst of the impact. After that, it was kind of hard to focus.


	14. The Knight's Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Hendrik goes looking for the Darkspawn after her escape, it's hard to say which is more surprising: That he actually finds her, or that she seems willing to negotiate.

Though they searched high and low, there was no sign of any of the Darkspawn’s other companions. Hendrik called the men off after a little less than two hours, ordering them to fall back to the campsite they had set up further afield. He pretended not to notice the wary looks some of them sent him, or the near treacherous mutterings that accompanied their retreat. They had all seen the same thing after all, and reacting would only lend their accusations credence.

Hendrik didn’t follow them right away. He needed time to think, and with his thoughts as turbulent as they were, he wouldn’t get that in the camp. Instead he would do one last search of the area, and would only rest when he found something, or when Obsidian needed to rest.

He let Obsidian choose his own way across the terrain, allowing him to stare into the night and watch for any movement that could belong to a person rather than an animal or monster. The Darkspawn had already survived one fatal jump from a cliff after all, no need to underestimate her now. Of course, that first time she had the use of both hands…

Hendrik grit his teeth against the thought, angry that he was second guessing himself. He had offered the girl a chance to surrender, which considering the trouble she had caused thus far, and the dishonourable tricks she had pulled in Gondolia, was more than she deserved. When she had spat on that chance, he had no issue with forcing her compliance.

Jasper’s tale of their encounter in Gondolia had painted a fearsome picture and Hendrik had prepared accordingly. He did not give her the chance to think of any tricks or ploys, simply backed her into that corner with no way of escaping, and with all the caution he would give to a wild beast in that situation.

That it had perhaps too easy did not mean anything. He was both stronger and more experienced that she was, and unlike with Jasper, the element of surprise was his, not hers. A second longer, and he had no doubt that she would’ve seen that it was worthless to keep resisting. If only he hadn’t been so distracted…

But then, he supposed anybody would’ve been, to hear such a familiar reprimand, and be assaulted by the image of someone you thought long dead. Still, there were other things he might’ve done, other ways he might’ve brought her in. Instead he had let her stay on that uneven terrain, and she had ultimately used it to her advantage, though perhaps not as she might’ve chosen to.

It was no use dwelling on it. What was done was done, and there was no turning back.

* * *

Dawn was slowly breaking when he heard voices. Obsidian responded to the light pull on the reins at once, pulling to a halt behind a large bush. It wasn’t the world’s best cover, but there were few other options around, and his targets were far down the slope from him, and wouldn’t have seen him yet.

Princess Jade was walking in front, looking from side to side with a sharp glare, but never directly forwards. She looked relatively unharmed, if bruised and ruffled, but it was the figure behind her that Hendrik focused on. The Darkspawn looked far from defiant now. Face covered in bruises, one arm in a fairly amateur looking splint, and wincing with every step. After one particularly painful move, the Princess turned to look at her, progress paused until the Darkspawn shook her head.

It would be easy to ambush them. The Princess would likely resist, but it would only take one move to pull the Darkspawn onto the saddle, and _she_ was hardly in a fit state to put up much of a fight. Perhaps the Princess would even see reason and come with him back to Heliodor.

Hendrik gave the idea fair consideration before discarding it. It was a nice dream, but he doubted it was one that would become reality this day.

Obsidian pawed the ground, reading his thoughts as he always seemed to, and reassuring his rider that he was ready to charge at a second’s notice. Hendrik waited for them to get closer, before nudging his horse out from their hiding place. He kept his pace hard as he approached, letting them see him clearly before tugging harshly on the reins. As he drew to a halt, he watched them both carefully, ready to react no matter what they did.

It was not quite unexpected. Princess Jade threw an arm in front of the Darkspawn, clearly prepared to protect her with her life, if she needed. But neither of them made any signs that they planned to run away, and he could work with that, “I had suspected it would take more than a mere fall to put paid to you, Darkspawn.” She met his gaze head on, proving that not all the fight had left her yet. Still, satisfied that she wasn’t planning anything, he looked back to the Princess, placing a hand over his heart and bowing as low as he dared, “Can it really have been so many years since that fateful night, Princess? To see you alive and well...you cannot imagine how much this pleases me.”

Not easily charmed, the Princess took a wary step back as he straightened, arm still in front of the other girl. “Not pleased enough to forget that you saw us though, I take it?”

“You know I cannot do that, even for you, Princess.”

“Does she look like a threat to you?!” Princess Jade took a deep breath, getting her voice under control before trying again, “Look, I know how you feel about duty, Hendrik—how could I forget? But you don't understand how important this is!”

He bristled, both concerned and not surprised by her words. “You would ask a sworn knight of Heliodor to disobey the orders of his king? You have been away from home too long, girl!”

“Enough!” The Darkspawn stepped around the outstretched arm, and though she was now doing her best to hide how much pain she was in, Hendrik still saw it in the way her features were locked in place. “Sir Hendrik, if I were to surrender myself-“

“What are you doing?!”

Ignoring the outburst, she spoke louder, still holding his gaze, “Could you guarantee that none of my companions will be harmed, or otherwise punished for keeping my company?”

Aware that she had tried this card with Jasper, Hendrik might not have answered, if it wasn’t for the fact that he knew her friends were nowhere in the area, and so would not be attacking him from behind. But, loathe as he was to admit it, there was honesty in the Darkspawn’s face, and he was willing to repay that in kind. “I cannot. Your companions are guilty of crimes more numerous than simply keeping your company. Not least of which is the theft of Heliodor’s Red Orb, and the vast disturbance of the peace in Gondolia, as well as your group assault on Sir Jasper.”

She did not seem surprised by his answer. “Sir Jasper is far from innocent himself. Or haven’t you heard what really happened?”

“I know that you took advantage of his nobility to feign surrender, before striking him in the back.” Obsidian started to snort, worriedly pawing at the ground. It took a mere second to soothe him, a second the girl used to creep slightly closer.

“Can I ask you something, Sir Hendrik? You clearly won’t give me a chance to prove I’m not the Darkspawn you’re all scared of. What are you going to do if I do decide to just give up fighting you…and King Carnelian turns out to be wrong?”

For a brief moment, Hendrik was reminded that in another, kinder world, Eliza of Dundrasil might’ve been feared for her way with words, not the darkness she was destined to bring. But they were not in that kinder world, so he simply gave a shake of his head, “There is little chance of that, girl. Even your own parents couldn’t escape your influence. Both were driven to madness, and it was by sheer luck that King Carnelian was able to protect himself. Had I arrived sooner…” He shook his head again, clearing away the memory.

He would spare her the grisly details though. A small mercy, but whatever else she was, nobody deserved to learn that their father had almost killed one of his closest allies, whether he was in the grips of the Darkspawn’s power or not. There was also the possibility that she was not yet aware of that particular aspect of her power, and he didn’t intend to be the one to alert her to it.

Doubt flew across the girl’s face, hovering only briefly, but enough to be seen. It apparently signalled the end of her willingness to negotiate, as she stepped back and closed her eyes, “Alright, Jade. We’ve tried my way. Your turn.”

He looked to see what the Princess intended to do, only to see that she was no longer standing behind the Darkspawn, having leapt upwards the second the other had called on her. Thanks to Obsidian’s concerned huffs, he was able to get his sword up in time to block the pointed boot aimed for his head. Not one to be easily discouraged, the Princess simply dropped to the floor and shot to the other side, leaping and trying again. He repeated the action, and she did the same.

It took several rounds of this to realise that she wasn’t actually planning to hurt him. Instead, her constant back and forthing along the ground was designed to panic Obsidian. His horse was too well trained to rear immediately, but even the most patient steed had his limits, and Obsidian reached his before the Princess ran out of energy. Hendrik tried to move with the manoeuvre, but he was unbalanced enough that a single strike had him on the floor, his place in the saddle being taken up by the two girls he had been trying to capture.

Princess Jade barely managed to keep the sorrow from her gaze before forcing Obsidian away, but it was the look of pity the Darkspawn sent him that made Hendrik grit his teeth and rise from the ground. What right did she have to feel sorry for him, when it was only because on her that he was in the position at all?

Yet, he didn’t give chase, or issue the command that would tell Obsidian to buck his two passengers from the saddle. For now, he allowed them to get away. As the girl had said, they had tried her way, and it hadn’t worked.

He fully intended that next time, and there would be a next time, they would be doing things _his_ way.


	15. Dress Like A Drasilian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On route to Puerto Valor, Rab learns a few things about his granddaughter and her habits. Hoping to encourage her, he gives her a small gift.

Not that he’d ever doubt their ability to give their pursuers the slip, but Rab was still relieved when they had been sailing a day with no notable encounters. Still, he was far from happy to have been chased away from his home like some kind of criminal, and he fully intended on giving Carnelian a piece of his mind, should they ever get to meet again.

At the very least he could take some comfort in the fact that everyone was still in one piece, and the only permanent casualty seemed to be Eliza’s sword, which Jade had been unable to locate after their run in with Hendrik.

(“Not the sword she won the final with?” Erik asked later. “I thought we could go back to Octagonia and make our fortunes selling it!”

“It was a good plan while it lasted.” Eliza sighed theatrically, patting him on the back.)

The lost sword could be easily replaced, and soon was in fact, thanks to Sylvando keeping a few spare rapiers on the ship. It was clear Eliza wasn’t as practised with such a thin blade, and when they weren’t dealing with monsters that managed to climb onto the deck, she was either practising with Sylvando, or frowning over a book that she kept pulling out from her satchel.

On the third day at sea, right as Rab decided that he was the only one who had noticed they were taking the long way to Puerto Valor, Eliza came bursting into the galley, still in her nightdress and far too perky for that time in the morning despite the dark circles under her eyes (those, Rab suspected, were something of a permanent feature on her face, given that she’d had them in Octagonia too). In her hands was a steel broadsword nearly identical to the one she had lost in Dundrasil.

“Where on earth did ye find that lass?” Rab asked, breakfast forgotten as he looked the weapon over, almost immediately revising his first reaction. Even to his eyes the blade was of a far higher quality than her old one.

“I made it.” Eliza grinned, helping herself to a few sausages from the pan. She took the seat next to him, ignoring the suspicious look she was being sent from Veronica across the table. “I found the recipe in the Warrior’s Rest inn, but I didn’t get the chance to look at it properly until now. And to think, we could’ve saved that money we spent in Octagonia.”

“It’s a fine blade. Well done, lass.” Eliza’s beam was rightfully proud, and she tucked into her breakfast, the sword sat between them.

Conversation turned to Puerto Valor for a little while then, Rab happily describing the tropical paradise, his audience growing as more of the party filed in. Some of them had taken the chance to get properly dressed, others were clearly still waking up, though they soon perked up when Veronica, practically radiating innocence said, “Hey Ellie, how about you show everyone else that new sword?”

Eliza froze, fork halfway to her mouth. Sharing a look with an equally confused Jade, Rab went to say something, but was cut off by a voice in the doorway, “And what new sword would this be, sweetie?”

For such a wee lass, Veronica clearly knew how to pick her moment.

Not giving her a chance to answer, Sylvando swept into the room proper, scooping up the sword before Eliza could nudge it out of sight, which was clearly her plan, “I don’t remember having anything like this in my stores, and I could’ve sworn that the one you had finished last night was only a fraction as good as this one.” The jester went on, pretending to examine the blade, “I’d even say it would’ve taken you all night, except I very specifically remember telling you to put the forge away around, ooh eleven maybe?”

Come to think about it, Rab _did_ remember hearing Sylvando telling one of the others to put something away and get some sleep. And he wasn’t sure, but there might’ve been someone walking up to deck a little while later. At the time he’d assumed it was Sylvando or maybe Erik, since the steps were so light. Apparently, like every other teenager on the continent, Eliza knew how to creep out after curfew.

With Sylvando looming over her, hands on his hips, Eliza visibly squirmed before saying, “Dave said he didn’t mind company for the night watch.”

Sylvando’s head dropped with an exaggerated sigh, before he held the sword out over the table, Erik already prepared to take it. That done, he picked up Eliza’s plate and took it over to the pan, piling it with two eggs, some pieces of bacon, and then scooping out a bowl of the porridge Serena had put on when she’d come in. Arms full, he gestured to the door with his head, “Bed, now. I don’t want to see you until this afternoon at least.”

Jade went to intervene, but was tugged back to her seat, and held there by whatever Serena whispered in her ear. Unsure about what he was missing, Rab trusted her judgement, and kept his mouth shut too. Besides which, Eliza was clearly struggling not to laugh as she got off the bench, and meekly took the dishes and cutlery, only just making it out of the room before breaking.

“And no forge for a week, unless it’s urgent!” Sylvando called after her, closing the door on her very real protest. Only when he was absolutely certain she was out of earshot did he drop the stern exterior, fixing Erik with a withering glare, “I will forever curse the day you gave her that forge.”

“I was trying to cheer her up!” The blue haired thief defended, “How was I supposed to know she’d get so obsessed with it?”

Sylvando waved off the protest, and after getting his own breakfast, fell into Eliza’s empty seat. Once again, it was Serena to spot the rising confusion on Rab’s face, the blonde clearing her throat to get his attention. “If we let her, Ellie would spend all day on the forge, making sure we have the best equipment possible, even if it’s only slightly better than what we already have. I think she’d go through the night if the hammering wouldn’t keep us all awake.”

“At least she’s making things for herself again.” Erik commented, tapping the sword. “I mean, I like daggers plenty, but I only have so many places to hide them.”

“Start tying that tunic properly then.”

“Don’t start, either of you.” The second Serena looked away, Veronica stuck her tongue out, an action Erik mirrored. “But yes, it is a good sign that she’s seeing to her own needs too.”

Well, there was a story there, but Rab wasn’t so sure he wanted to go into it over the breakfast table, and he carefully relayed this to Jade through a raised eyebrow. The rest of the meal went by relatively peacefully, everyone slowly drifting off to finish getting ready, or up on the deck to start another day of monster fighting.

Rab fully intended to do the latter, but first he stopped by Eliza’s cabin. There was no answer when he tapped on the door, and when he cracked it open, it was to see her curled up in her blanket, breathing deeply and evenly. An empty plate and bowl were on the nightstand next to her, and Rab guessed that she would be sleeping well into the afternoon. Well, that just gave him time to get things ready.

* * *

When his granddaughter did surface just after lunch, yawning widely and answering any question asked by her grinning friends with a series of groans, Rab was waiting for her with a cup of tea, and a bound volume under his arm. Jade had glared when she’d first seen it, but was forced to apologise when she actually saw the cover. Rab had magnanimously decided not to crow over being found innocent for once, not wanting to give her a reason to go looking for the collection he’d acquired while she’d been doing the legwork in their Octagonia investigation.

Eliza took the tea gratefully, even making the same gesture he’d seen Irwin use some mornings, and gulped almost half of it in one go. Once a little spark was back in her eyes, he held the book out to her, letting her see the title, “ _Dress Like a Drasilian_? Is…is it a fashion guide?”

Rab wiggled his hand, “Sort of. I picked this little tome up a few years back. A little piece of home, if ye catch my drift.” She seemed to, and setting her cup down on the railing, started flicking through the pages. There were a few chapters on the different styles that the members of the court had worn, as well as a passage or two on the typical designs that the townspeople had favoured.

But it was the pages on armour that Eliza focused on, murmuring the list of materials for different suits with an increasing grin. At last, she brought herself to close the book, slowly holding it out to him. Her relief when Rab pushed it back towards her was palpable. “Keep it lass. Something to keep ye busy while yer banned from proper forging.”

Eliza hugged the book close, before wrapping an arm around him too, “Thank you, Rab. I’ll start work on these as soon as I’m allowed.”

“Aye, just make sure ye take care of yerself, or it’ll be my head Sylvando comes after next.” Eliza’s head vanished into the pages again, and Rab decided to leave her to it.

He was looking forwards to when they did get to Puerto Valor. Not only because they’d be out of the open sea and as far from Heliodor as you could get, but he was looking forwards to introducing his granddaughter to Don Rodrigo. She already fought with a strange but interesting mixture of his style and her own, and her knack with the forge would only further pique his old friend’s interest.

That was if they ever _got_ to Puerto Valor…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a bit of a departure from normal canon. Not in a big way, but I will be interested to see what you guys think.


	16. Tourists From All Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting lost in Puerto Valor, Ellie runs into a few fellow visitors to the city with a few surprises up their sleeve.

“Ships ahoy!”

At the shout from the crow’s nest, everyone rushed to the railing, hands on their weapons just in case. But rather than the standard of Heliodor, the mass of ships they were nearing bore sails of nearly every design and colour, and none of them seemed particularly bothered by the approaching newcomer. They had finally arrived at the Sea Gates.

Sharing an excited look with Serena, Ellie stood waiting for Sylvando and Dave to start dispensing orders, so they could dock without any issue.

At some point between the diving competition off the stern and the poker games in the store cupboard, Rab had called a meeting to talk everyone through their next steps. Those next steps being that no matter when they got to Puerto Valor, unless they were actively being chased by Heliodor or the forces of darkness (one more likely than the other), they wouldn’t be travelling through the Sea Gates until at least a day after they arrived. “Yer all going stir crazy, and we’ll be stuck on the water longer once we get through the Sea Gates. A day or two to stretch yer legs and talk to people who aren’t each other will do the world of good.”

“And prevent any more attempted murders.” Sylvando had chimed, staring right at Veronica and Erik, who had needed fishing out after an ill-timed shove had landed them both in the drink. Exactly who had shoved who remained a mystery, but the result had been the same.

They anchored a little further out than the other ships, hampered by the _Stallion_ ’s size. While Dave prepared the skiff, and everyone else grabbed what they wanted to take ashore, Ellie noticed that Sylvando had drifted over to the prow, and was staring out over the water. He looked up when he heard her footsteps, turning properly when she saw what she was wearing, “Didn’t I say that you’d look lovely?”

“Yes, you did.” This mini holiday was probably going to be her only chance to wear the dress they’d bought in Gondolia, and Ellie was determined to get some use out of it. “We’ll just see how it looks after fighting a few monsters.”

“You won’t have to worry about that. The road to Puerto Valor is one of the safest in Erdrea, thanks to Don Rodrigo and his students.” Sylvando explained. “Anyway, shouldn’t you be getting ready like the others? You won’t be coming back to the ship for a good few hours.”

“I could ask the same to you. Aren’t you coming?”

Sylvando shook his head, “Not today sweetie. Someone needs to stay with the _Stallion,_ and I think Dave’s earned a little break himself, eh?” When she wasn’t convinced, he smiled, “Don’t worry, if I get bored or lonely, I’ll take a rowboat to the docks. I’m sure a few of the merchant ships wouldn’t mind making a few coins before starting their trips in earnest.”

Still feeling slightly guilty about the entire thing, Ellie crossed her arms, “Are you sure you don’t want someone to stay behind?”

“I’m sure, now go have fun, and don’t forget what I told you about those mini medals.” He ruffled her hair and sent her back towards the others with a soft push.

Ellie took the hint and did as she was told, waiting her turn to be helped into the boat hanging off the side. It was a lot harder to do in a skirt, and she briefly wondered how Veronica and Serena did it every time they set anchor somewhere. Other than a brief moment when Jade struggled to get proper footing and nearly went overboard, they managed to all squeeze in, and then Dave was slowly lowering them down into the water, humming under his breath and ignoring how hard everyone was holding onto their seats.

They landed on the water without any further drama, and it was while Dave and Rab were unhooking the ropes that they heard hurried footsteps above their heads, Erik looking up in alarm, “If he jumps, I’m swimming for it.”

But Sylvando didn’t jump, instead braking hard at the railing and half dangling over it, “Make sure you stay out of the casino too, I’ve seen your poker faces!”

“Alright Dad!” Erik scoffed, sending a light ripple of laughter over the boat. Waving off their mirth, Sylvando stayed at the railing until they set off, Dave and Jade trading rowing duty with good strong strokes that would have them at the docks in no time.

Keeping her eyes on the ship, Ellie pushed down the guilty feeling in her gut. Sylvando had told them to enjoy themselves, and like he said, Dave deserved a break too. Still not completely happy, Ellie only perked up when Erik, following her eyes, suggested they pick him up something in town.

* * *

The only thing on their itinerary was to see Don Rodrigo regarding their passage through the Sea Gates, but with him absent from the city with no indication of returning soon, there wasn’t much more they could do other than book the _Salty Stallion_ in for the next day. Depending on the tides, they could be through the Sea Gates and on their way straight after breakfast. With that sorted, there wasn’t much else to do but enjoy the rest of their day.

Slightly disappointed to have missed his friends, Rab was still more than happy to set them loose on Puerto Valor, announcing his own intentions to enjoy the city’s many seaside establishments. “Aye, it’s always nice to soak in the local atmosphere. Ye will nae find many people more welcoming than Valorians, and I cannae think of anywhere more welcoming than the watering holes.”

“I’m sure the proximity to the beach doesn’t hurt either.” Jade deadpanned, causing Rab to blush and cough awkwardly before making his exit, reminding them to be at the city gates by sundown. Not entirely sure what that was about, Ellie simply shook her head and asked the others what they wanted to do. Dave and Veronica followed after Rab, Veronica promising she just wanted to enjoy the beach, and not to see what the drinking laws were like here.

Deciding not to look too deeply into that statement, the rest of the party decided to stay close together. “We could join the others for dinner, but I don’t want to spend all day at the beach, if that makes sense?” Serena said.

“No complaints here. I was going to suggest we spend the day high rolling at the casino, but I guess that’s out.” Erik scoffed, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance.

Ellie gave his shoulder a shove, “It’s your fault we’re banned anyway. How was I supposed to learn how to play poker with you cheating every other game?”

“I told you Ellie, sometimes miracles happen, and players end up with five aces. I don’t make the rules.” He spread his hands out and put on his best innocent smile. Jade and Ellie shared a look, and Erik had just enough time to notice before they were both shoving him, nearly knocking him over, but unable to avoid laughing all the same.

In the end, they decided just to wander the town and see what they could find. A boutique took up a nice chunk of their time, with Serena leaving with a smart red sundress decorated with polka dots, and another in a similar style for Veronica, this one a cheerful green colour. While she was choosing out matching headgear, Ellie got into a long discussion with one of the tailors, who happily passed along the patterns as well as a few for outfits that Don Rodrigo’s few female students preferred to wear when not actively training.

(During this aspect of the shopping trip, Jade and Erik had gone across to the blacksmith to look at the weapons, and later a nearby bakery when it became apparent that they would be there a while.)

After that, Ellie suggested they look for the mini medal exchange desk Sylvando had told them about. By now, the streets were getting quite busy, and it was a relief to duck into the hotel they had been pointed towards. There, in exchange for Ellie’s handful of mini medals, they were given a fair-sized pamphlet that the girl on duty stamped a few times, as well as their first pair of prizes.

“It’s amazing, Gemma and I used to find them sometimes, but I never knew people actually collected them.” Ellie said, flicking through the other pages of the booklet.

“Same here. And did you hear what she said? There’s an entire school dedicated to them.”

“There is.” Jade confirmed, “L’Academie de Notre Maitre les Medailles. It’s very highly regarded, and had things gone differently, Ellie and I might’ve been students there.”

Holding the Hermes’ Hat somewhat dubiously, Serena hummed thoughtfully, “When you think about it, it’s a wonder there’s any left to be collected at all.”

“Maybe the ones that get handed in are scattered by the school? It would keep the tradition alive.”

“Yeah, but that’s a lot of effort.” Erik gave it a little more thought before shaking his head, “Nah, I bet they’re like anything else. People pick them up, then forget about them and chuck them somewhere.” His voice seemed to be getting quieter, but with her head between the pages, Ellie hardly noticed.

Her shoulder collided with someone else, and she quickly apologised, going back to the book. Her eyes fixed on one entry in particular, taking a second to blink and make sure she wasn’t reading it wrong, both relieved and worried when the text stayed the same. There, listed as the prize for collecting and handing in a hundred mini medals was… “Erdwin’s Shield.” Her head shot up, “Guys look at…” She trailed off, looking around for her friends, who were nowhere in sight.

Forgetting the shield for now, Ellie quickly started walking, guessing that they couldn’t have gotten that far ahead, but even with the slowly emptying streets, she couldn’t see any hint of them, not even Erik’s hair, or Serena’s bright dress. Pausing at a crossroad, she looked in each direction, trying to work out which way to go, and if she should just ask someone to help, or try and find the others at the beach, when a pair came out from around a corner.

“Martin, slow down, you git!” Ellie blinked at the shout, stunned to hear an accent similar to Rab’s coming from a young woman with red hair. She looked about Jade’s age, maybe older, and was dressed like she’d been enjoying the beach not five minutes ago, though she was clearly struggling to match her partner’s pace in the sandals she was wearing. "Look, will you stop punishing me? It's not my fault Janie chose now to be a normal teenager."

The man she was talking to was slightly older, wearing a light shirt and trousers, and with a face like thunder. He paused in his marching to point a finger in the girl’s face, “I left for ten minutes, Bryony. All you had to do was keep an eye on her.” He too had a Drasilian accent, a little stronger than the girl’s. “But no, you were too busy making money that we can’t even spend at home.”

Bryony limped close enough to slap the finger away, “One, we still need to eat while we’re here, and two, she’s almost seventeen, I’m not going to baby her.” Bryony wiped a hand down her face, "Let’s split up and cover more ground.”

“Not a chance. We’ve already lost one person; I’d rather it not be two.”

“You let Caelum go on his own!”

“Aye, because I can trust Caelum not to pick arguments with every knight that looks at him funny!” Bryony raised her own finger, an argument on her lips, before her mouth snapped shut again, conceding the point with a shrug. “Besides, this whole thing was your idea, so technically it is your fault.”

“Oh, get lost. You’re the one desperate to take a holiday, I’m just the one who bothered to find somewhere to go.”

“I meant a little more locally than this!”

_Well, as fun as this is, what are you going to do if they notice you? Shouldn’t you be looking for your own friends?_

Ellie shook the voice away, turning to leave the pair to their renewed bickering, only to freeze. Further up the street were a pair of knights in the Heliodor uniform. They hadn’t noticed her yet, but she didn’t want to press her luck by getting any closer, and even if they didn’t know her face, her birthmark was very much on display.

Without much choice in the matter, Ellie ducked behind the corner, praying that they hadn’t noticed her. Further up the street, Martin and Bryony were staring each other down, before he finally threw his hands up in the air and let out a frustrated growl, “Just come on, the sooner we find her, the sooner we can get home.”

“Killjoy.” Bryony grumbled, but went to follow him.

The sounds of armoured footsteps on the pavement she had just left twisted Ellie’s gut, and before she knew what she was doing, she rushed away from the corner, shouting before she could think about her next steps, “Wait!”

Martin ignored her, but Bryony seemed to hear her, pulling back on his arm and making him turn with her, one eyebrow raised when Ellie caught up to them, “You alright there, lass?”

Now that she had their attention, Ellie didn’t know what to say. It felt childish to admit that she’d managed to lose her friends, but if they were looking for someone her age, they probably wouldn’t pay it too much mind, “I couldn’t help overhearing you and since you were already looking, I was wondering if you’ve seen my friends?”

“Almighty, it’s a day for losing people.” Martin huffed, catching Bryony’s fist before it contacted his gut. Still, his face softened a little, “What do they look like, lass?”

Sighing in relief, Ellie gave a brief description of her friends, moving so that she could see them as well as the blue uniforms now walking behind her. She thought she’d done a good job of hiding what she was doing, but judging by the way Bryony looked between her and the Heliodorians, she failed utterly.

Rather than say anything though, she just shook her head, “Sorry, haven’t seen anyone like that, but then we’ve been…distracted.”

“That’s a polite way of putting it.” Martin murmured, before looking at Ellie properly, “Don’t suppose you’ve seen our Janie, have you? She’s about your age, dressed in white with short hair?” Ellie shook her head, and sucking in a breath, Martin seemed to consider something before looking at Bryony. The two held a long, silent conversation before Bryony eventually nodded, and he looked Ellie’s way again, “Are you staying anywhere? They might go there before searching the streets.”

“We’re not staying in town, but our other friends are supposed to be at the beach.”

“Aye, I know where you mean, we’ve just come from there ourselves.” Sharing another look, Martin nudged Bryony forwards, “Bryony can take you over there and see if our Janie’s found her own way back. If she has,” He said the last part to Bryony, bringing his finger back up, “Tell her that I want a word about wandering off in strange places.”

Before Ellie could protest, Bryony pretended to bite at the finger, grinning when he quickly pulled it back again. She then gestured Ellie closer, pointing in the direction she and Martin had originally appeared from, “Come on then, if we go this way, we shouldn’t get too lost.”

“It’s alright, really…” Appearing not to have heard, Bryony set off at a brisk pace, only looking back when Ellie hurried to catch up. Within seconds they were in Puerto Valor’s backstreets, surrounded by high buildings and thin paths. More than once they had to push themselves against a wall to let a cart pass, and Ellie took a minute to be thankful she hadn’t tried navigating them on her own.

Still, she couldn’t shake the guilt in her stomach to have pulled Bryony away from her own search. “You don’t have to do this. If I just follow my nose…”

“Nonsense lass, we’d like to think somebody would do the same for our Janie.” Bryony stopped at another crossways, frowning a little before turning to the right, “Besides, this city’s a damn maze. Don’t even know how the locals find their way around.” Once she was sure she’d picked the right direction, she threw a friendly look over her shoulder, “Besides, if we don’t help, who will? Those soldiers you were hiding from?”

_Sylvando did say your poker face needed work. This just proves it._

Ellie went to splutter an excuse, only for Bryony to wave a hand, “Look lass, that’s your business, and from what I’ve seen they’re all prats anyway. Why do you think we haven’t been asking them if they’ve seen our Janie? Besides, with my history, I’ve no right to judge anyone trying to keep her head down.” She gave a playful wink.

Unable to help grinning, Ellie kept close, letting Bryony chatter at her, and keeping an eye out for any flash of blue, green or red that might’ve been her friends and not Helidor’s finest. With one last turn though, they were back on the main streets, and most importantly, right next to a staircase leading to golden sands. In the distance was a wooden building filled with people, and it was that that Bryony led them towards.

Her friends saw her before she saw them, Veronica’s voice breaking through the ambient chatter, “Ellie? I thought you were with the others?”

“We got separated.” Turning to thank Bryony for her help, Ellie was stunned to see the other girl glaring at the bar, pausing only to accept the thanks before marching over to the counter. As she sat down with her friends, Ellie could only watch as Bryony launched into a tirade at the girl sat there, waving her arms and ignoring the man trying to get between them, speaking a language that was nothing like Ellie had ever heard before. The girl she was shouting at, Ellie guessing this was the missing Janie, gave as good as she got, while the man, possibly Caelum, gave up trying to intervene and gestured for the bartender to get him another drink.

More surprising than any of that was Rab’s reaction. Her grandfather sat back in his chair with an impressed gleam in his eyes, “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard Drasilian. Especially out of such young mouths.”

“Their accents ‘ent ‘alf bad either.” Dave commented, ignoring the strange looks he got from the others. When he did notice, he just shrugged, “What? I’ve been sailing a long time. A man picks up on these things.”

Quirking her head, Ellie tried to pay better attention what was being said, but she struggled to pick much out. Gradually, the argument cooled into more of a scolding, one that sounded more of a formality that anything else. Every now and then Martin’s name came up, never failing to make Janie squirm, but the word that Ellie couldn’t help latching onto was ‘Rapportal’, since every time it was mentioned, it was always in a slightly quieter tone than the rest of the sentence.

Having a much easier time following the conversation, Rab’s eyebrows were drew together in suspicion, only to suddenly relax a little, “Aye, I’d be interested in having a wee word with our new friends.”

Unfortunately for Rab, his investigation was forced to wait when Erik, Jade and Serena came running in, panicking and shouting that they’d lost Ellie. By the time they managed to calm everyone down, and Ellie suitably teased for getting so interested in the mini medal pamphlet that she’d gotten lost, the rest of the bar had fallen silent.

When they looked, Bryony, Janie and Caelum were already halfway down the beach, still deep in conversation. As everyone else went back to their drinks, all deciding it was probably better to leave them to it, Ellie kept watching, grinning to herself when Bryony, seeming to sense her gaze, looked over her shoulder and gave her another wink.

Maybe some mysteries weren’t meant to be solved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the four new characters mentioned here are my DQIX party taking a little cross dimensional vacation after saving their world. I've wanted to write something with them for a long time, and thought, why not add them here since they're hardly strangers to hopping between worlds (Thank you, Pavo.)
> 
> And yes, I did manage to get myself lost in Puerto Valor. Don't ask me how. As for the whole, 'booking to go through the Sea Gates' I don't know, I sort of imagined it like a huge canal lock where you could only go through at certain times. Plus, I needed a huge dock near Puerto Valor for a future chapter. Bet you can't guess which one!


	17. Sea Crossed Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say the course of true love never runs smooth, and this case is no exception. Veronica can’t help but think that it’s unfair for them to get all the bad luck, considering it’s not their true love that they’re chasing.

If you had told Veronica that she would one day see a real-life mermaid, she would’ve told you to get whatever fever was affecting you checked out. Then again, she would’ve said the same thing to the idea that she’d one day see the Luminary scream and jump onto a stool when a rat ran out from under a cupboard, and that image was permanently seared into her mind however much Ellie insisted she forget it.

And yet the fact that they had just in fact spoken with such a being only sank in when they were able to leave the Strand’s fog and head for the open water, and Lonalulu. Still, with this being their best chance of finding the giant pearl, she wasn’t about to question any part of it (Even if the half sunken ship behind Michelle’s perch should’ve been a warning sign).

At least, that was the plan. Then the storm rolled in…

* * *

It came out of literal nowhere. One second they had been under sunny skies, talking about the non-giant pearls Lonalulu was famous for, the next they were doused by what felt like several gallons of water, and flying across the deck with every step. Making matters worse was the fact that the initial downpour had knocked out the few lanterns that had been lit, forcing Veronica to squint if she wanted to see what was going on.

Beyond that, she had to use her ears. Sylvando’s voice seemed to come from every direction, shouting for someone to do this or that, but only Erik’s voice ever seemed to respond. Between flashes of lightning she could see the thief racing around, always holding tightly to something or other as he and Jade hurried to do as they were told. The only indication he gave that anything was remotely wrong was the grim expression he was wearing when he finally slid to where Veronica was clinging to a rail.

“When it calms down, run below deck!” He ordered, prising her fingers from the wood. Against her better judgement, Veronica let him, trading that grip for clinging to his tunic when a wave smashed into the ship. This close, she could hear him muttering, something about this being why he left the pirate life, but the second they were relatively steady again, he pushed her towards the hatch, racing to heed Sylvando’s next yell before she could thank him.

Beyond the lightning, the only light source was over by the main mast, where Ellie’s birthmark was shining bright enough to reveal her and Serena. They had locked arms, in case the rope around their waist failed, and while Serena waved her wand at every gust she could, trying to neutralise it with her wind spells, Ellie was doing her best to stop lightning from hitting the _Stallion,_ though judging by the look on her face, it was a lot harder than summoning it.

“Incoming!” Jade’s shout was just enough warning for everyone to brace, and it still wasn’t enough. The wave she’d seen didn’t just slam into them; it almost capsized the ship entirely. The deck was suddenly a cacophony of screaming, those not tied down, fighting to grab what they could and praying it would be enough. With only enough time to grab onto a gap in the wood, Veronica went flying, and had just enough time to see the angry froth on the ocean before her descent was suddenly stopped by something grabbing her wrist.

When the ship was pushed back to its normal angle by a wave hitting the other side, Rab was saved from having to haul her back up, which might’ve been a big ask, given how shaky his own hold on the boat was. “Come on, lassie, we’re better off below decks.”

“We can’t just leave everyone else!” Visions of her sister flying overboard, or getting hit by a bolt that Ellie missed filled Veronica’s head. “There’s got to be something we can do!”

“Aye, we get below deck and out of their way. That way, they won’t have to worry about us.”

Veronica would’ve argued further, if it wasn’t for the sudden flash of light that reflected off the waves up ahead. Instead of vanishing as quickly as it appeared though, it stuck around, and before she could call out, Dave was steering them towards it.

Despite her fears that the storm would follow them, the _Salty Stallion_ emerged relatively unscathed, leaving the pitch-black clouds behind. After extracting Ellie and Serena from the pile of fishing nets they’d been flung into, and putting the sails into a position that would get them as far away from the squall as possible, they hurried to get out of their wet things. When the rest of the day went by without any further risk of drowning, they all took a sigh of relief.

It had been nerve-wracking, but Veronica wasn’t so superstitious to think it had been anything more than a sudden storm. Then came the squid…

* * *

When future generations told stories of their journey to defeat Mordegon, Veronica could only hope they’d skip the first fight they had with the tentacular terrorising Lonalulu. They probably would, because there was probably nobody but their party that would even try calling what happened a fight.

Yet despite the giant squid’s best efforts, and the near loss of the _Stallion’s_ prow, they were able to do the same thing the fishermen had done, and retreat to a safe distance. After that, they retreated to an even safer distance, and by that point they were closer to Lonalulu than they were to the squid, so they decided to retreat just a bit more.

“We either need a bigger boat-“

“Probably not going to happen.”

“Or, we need something to throw that it’ll actually feel.” Ellie finished, ignoring Jade’s interruption. “Any ideas?”

The three of them were sat on the harbour watching the sun dropping towards the horizon. Rab, ever keen to expand his network of friends across the continent was speaking with the Kahuna, while Erik and Sylvando were looking over the damage to the _Stallion_ with Dave. Serena promised to join them later, after she’d restocked her herb stock, but for now it was just them, and the lingering shadow of a giant squid.

“We could strap blades to the prow.” Jade suggested, “That way when it grabs onto the ship, it’ll just be hurting itself.”

Do we have enough weapons for that though?” Seeing that Ellie looked like she was going to spend the entire night making sure they did, Veronica quickly carried on, “Besides, something that big probably wouldn’t even feel anything but a light pricking.”

Before anybody could make any further suggestions, their silent musings were interrupted by a resounding BOOM that sent a strong tremor that vibrated through the boards they were all sat on, almost doing what the storm hadn’t and knocking them into the water.

“What on Erdrea was that?!” Veronica cried, seconds before they all heard a splash somewhere in the distance. Her reaction drew a chuckle from one of the women sitting further down the harbour from them, though she at least had the decency to try and hide it behind the net she was repairing.

Once she’d managed to compose herself a little, she sent them a friendly smile. “Don’t worry, it’s just the Cannon Lady. She fires her cannon when the sun rises and sets, as if we wouldn’t notice time passing anyway.”

“Every day?”

“That’s right. In fact, I couldn’t help but overhear you were discussing the tentacular the men have gone after. Well, she offered to loan them one of her cannons, but there wasn’t enough room on the boats.” The woman set her work down, sending a meaningful look towards the _Salty Stallion,_ “I’m sure the offer’s still open.”

With a quick look to each other, they thanked the woman, and hurried in the direction she pointed them in, hoping to catch the Cannon Lady before she retired for the night. Even without the guide though, they knew which house to aim for thanks to the garden being absolutely teeming with enough firepower to make anybody planning to attack Lonalulu think twice.

While Ellie negotiated with the Cannon Lady for the use of one of her precious weapons (which pretty much boiled down to a promise to bring it back), Veronica and Jade looked over the collection, looking out for the biggest one they thought they could get back to the boat without doing more damage to themselves.

It took some serious effort just to move the one they chose out of the Cannon Lady’s garden but Veronica knew it would be worth the work, even if it only gave them a small edge and nearly broke her foot when Jade steered it too far to her side. For the first time after seeing the huge monster, Veronica finally started having a little hope for their mission to bring Kai home so they could reunite him with his lady love.

And then came the party, or rather, what came after it…

* * *

Going back to the bar was out of the question after what they’d just learnt. All the warmth from before had vanished with the younger Kai’s revelation, and Veronica knew no spell that could bring it back. Instead they found a space on the beach, not far from Serena and her patients, and sat in near silence.

Occasionally one of them would look at the veil that Ellie had spread across her lap, and go to say something. Just as quickly, their mouths would snap shut, as it became more obvious that there was nothing that could be said.

It was oddly sobering, to have failed before even beginning, and Veronica wondered if this had been why they had struggled so much. Had the sea itself been trying to stop them from learning the truth? To make them give up, and just be satisfied with the faint hope that one day Kainoa would remember his promise to Michelle?

At long last, almost hidden underneath the music being blasted to the best of the instruments’ abilities, Ellie let out a quiet sigh, “What do we do now?”

And wasn’t that just the question of the day? They’d promised to bring Michelle’s fiancé back to her, but that wasn’t happening any time soon. Besides, would she even believe them? She’d barely noticed that fifty years had gone by after all, what if she just thought they were lying to get out of having to honour their side of the deal?

Unless of course, they did just that.

Giving it a little more thought, Veronica closed her eyes, and gave a sigh of her own, “There’s one thing we could do.”

She didn’t need to elaborate, her friends throwing her horrified looks. “We can’t lie.” Ellie whispered, tightening her grip on the veil, like she was protecting Michelle herself. “We just can’t!”

“Why not?” Veronica asked, hating every word that came out of her mouth, “She didn’t notice fifty years going by, so why not give her a few more years of happiness?”

“And what about when Kai still doesn’t come?” Jade pointed out, “She’ll either find someone else to help her, someone who won’t try and spare her feelings, or she’ll lose faith entirely. No matter how you look at it, Michelle’s going to be hurt. Wouldn’t you rather know the truth if it was you?”

Veronica didn’t answer her. Like Jade had just said, there was no answer that wouldn’t lead to Michelle getting hurt. All they could do was think of some way that would hurt the least, but Veronica had no idea how they could do that.

“We should speak to the others.” Ellie suddenly said. “We can’t make a decision until they’ve heard the whole story, and with any luck, they’ll have ideas of their own. And even if they don’t, then it buys us a little time.”

They’d have to go back to the Strand eventually, and for the first time since starting this whole mess, Veronica couldn’t say she was looking forwards to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, allow me to apologise for the lack of Michelle in the chapter centred around her questline, but I just couldn't. I've just done poetry for two weeks at my creative writing class, and if I had to write another rhyme, I was going to lose it. 
> 
> Secondly, I'm taking a week off so I can get ahead with my writing again. So there won't be another update until the 17th, but we'll be back to regular uploads from there. (At least until I run out of chapters again.)


	18. Mural, Mural on the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the cryptic advice of Queen Marina, the party travel to Phnom Nonh, and get mixed up in a missing persons case with more than one twist to it.

Phnom Nonh was rapidly proving to be one of the few places Ellie couldn’t wait to leave, and not just because saying the name without one of the others laughing at her was nigh impossible to do. It wasn’t so much the place itself, since it was actually quite charming if you looked past how obsessed the residents were by the mural, and she didn’t even think that was so bad, given that it was the source of most of their income.

No, her issue was with the tourists, namely the pair that had left their daughter sobbing her heart out on the path to the ruins.

Poor Dora was in such a state that it took Ellie and Sylvando about five minutes just to get her calm enough to explain what had happened, both of them crouching to her level in the hopes of making it easier to talk to them, “They said th-the mural was going to make them rich...a-and then they just...went...” She began to cry again, and when Ellie went to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, she lunged at the older girl, wrapping both arms around her neck and burying her head in Ellie’s shoulder, “P-Please help me! I wa— I want them back so badly!”

“Don’t worry little one,” Sylvando cooed, “We’ll find where they’ve gone, don’t you worry!” A hiccup was all Dora said in response, but she did emerge a little, and wiped her eyes with the hankie he held out to her. While she was busy with that, he and Ellie straightened up, “If I take the town, can you search the ruins, Ellie?”

“Sure, if the others are still there, we can get them to help too.” Ellie flashed Dora what she hoped was an encouraging smile, “We’ll find them, and when we do, I’m sure they’ll be proud of how brave you’ve been.” It seemed to work, if the watery smile Dora gave was any indication, and it only brightened when Sylvando ruffled her hair.

Not wanting to waste much time, they split up. Sylvando took Dora with him, in the hopes that she’d see her parents in one of the crowds, while Ellie continued in the directions that the signs pointed, keeping her eyes peeled.

But there were no couples on the path, and the one woman who looked like she could have a daughter Dora’s age was quite insistent that she had no children or husband, and Ellie saw no reason to disbelieve her. There was nobody else around to ask, so with growing annoyance, she went into the ruins proper.

Ellie didn’t look at the mural right away, too busy looking around as she went to join Erik and the twins. She was more concerned by the absence of any other people, and the lack of any passages that could’ve provided a clue as to where Dora’s parents had gone. But there was nothing there but her, her friends, and the mural that everybody was so proud of.

But when she did look… “So this is what all the fuss is about?”

It _was_ impressive, Ellie could admit, but more because of its size than anything else. The actual paint was faded and starting to crack in places, but was still bright enough that the entire picture could be clearly seen. It seemed to be a scene taken from a royal court somewhere, showing a queen upon her throne, and surrounded by her adoring subjects. Rather than acknowledging them in any way, the queen’s gaze was firmly on the world outside her wall, holding Ellie’s eyes until Erik’s voice broke the spell. “I still don’t believe all that stuff about it being lucky.”

“It probably isn’t.” Veronica shrugged, still staring hard at the amulet around the queen’s neck, as if trying to place it somewhere. “But it makes a good story.”

“And good money.” Ellie scowled. It drew her a strange look from Erik, but before she could explain, there was a low rumbling that echoed through the room. It passed as quickly as it had arrived, but it didn’t stop everyone glancing about, as if the ceiling was about to fall on their heads.

Once a decent amount of time had passed with nothing happening, Erik snorted, “Was that your stomach, Veronica? Don’t tell me you’re hungry again!”

“No, it was not!” Pushing herself to full height, Veronica waved a finger in his face, “Maybe if you weren’t so clearly distracted by this impressive lady here, you’d realise that didn’t sound anything like my tummy rumbling!”

Sensing what was coming, Ellie and Serena quickly took a step back, letting the pair get on with their bickering. As they did, Ellie’s eyes went back to the mural, but this time they were snatched by a long gash in the wall, not far from the queen’s head. It didn’t look like normal wear and tear, rather it seemed as if someone had taken a weapon to the wall. But why?

* * *

Since there was still no sign of Dora’s parents and Veronica seemed happy to leave without picking a fight, the four of them left Bazza and his friends to get their fill of the possibly lucky statue and returned to town, hoping Sylvando had had better luck than they had.

He hadn’t. If anything, he’d had worse luck.

While Ellie had been in the ruin with the others, Sylvando had drawn Rab and Jade into his search of the town, but despite their combined efforts, there was still no sign of Dora’s parents. And then, just when it looked like things couldn’t get any less hopeful… “I only looked away for a second, I swear!”

“She can’t have gotten that far though, surely?” Serena tried, but failed, to soothe.

“I don’t know. Kids have a natural knack for getting into trouble.” Erik wasn’t _quite_ looking at Veronica as he said it, but she seemed to get what he was getting at and threw him a glare over her shoulder.

Since they hadn’t seen her on their way back from the ruins, everyone agreed she still had to be in town somewhere. Jade agreed to stand guard on the path in case Dora did go that way, but everyone else spread out, asking everyone they could for information on the missing family. It meant dodging more salesmen than Ellie thought could actually fit in Phnom Nonh, and by the end of it, nothing had changed.

The only thing remotely resembling a lead turned out to just be a scheme to get them to stay in a specific inn for the night. It did briefly provide them with a new line of enquiry, which quickly ran dry when it turned out none of the various inns, taverns or hotels had anyone matching Dora’s description staying there. As if that wasn’t enough, they woke to the news that Bazza’s group hadn’t returned from their trip to the ruins.

It was getting hard to stay hopeful about their chances of finding Dora and reuniting her with her parents, but Ellie was determined that this part of their journey was getting to have a happy ending, especially after what had happened with Michelle. Queen Marina had sent them here for a reason, and Ellie wasn’t just going to let matters lie when there was still the chance of fixing things.

And if that meant running full pelt back to the ruins at the briefest sight of Dora going that way, and getting sucked into another world? Well, nobody had said this was going to be easy.

* * *

It probably said far too much about how things were going that Ellie was stung more by Dora’s betrayal than by any physical blow the monster sent their way. The whole act had been a clever ruse meant to trap them behind the mural for her to feed on, and when they’d been able to escape, she’d goaded them into returning for the sake of her other victims.

The fight hadn’t been easy. In her true form, Dora-In-Grey’s trickery was far more potent, even managing to take control of Ellie’s friends and set them against her. Between dodging them, attacking what parts of Dora-In-Grey that she could reach, and fighting against the claws trying to dig into her own thoughts long enough for Sylvando to snap her out of it, Ellie was left exhausted by the end of it.

But they had won. Every single person Dora had enslaved and made part of her mural were free. Sure, the people of Phnom Nonh were slightly put out to have lost their main attraction, but that only lasted for a bout a minute before someone realised that if they spun the story properly, this could be an even better tourist spot. With that, there was nobody to bother Ellie as she sat on the fringe of the celebrations, pressing her drink to her temple.

At the next table over, Erik, Jade and Veronica were collaborating. Now that they had the magic key, they could finally unlock the matching doors around Erdrea and find out what they were hiding. All they had to do was remember where they were, and they’d be in business. Occasionally Serena would attempt to remind them that this could be considered robbery in some of the locations, which only really worked for Jade, and only until someone would mention another location.

Rab had gone up to bed not long into the festivities, claiming that all the stairs they’d climbed behind the mural had done his knees in. Ellie planned to do the same as soon as she thought she could get away with it, which probably wouldn’t be for another hour or so.

“You know, brooding is not allowed tonight. Do I have to drag into dancing?” Sylvando’s voice came from behind her, too close for Ellie to lower her drink. The smile on Sylvando’s face dropped when he saw it, jumping straight to the conclusion she had wanted to avoid, “Oh sweetie, I didn’t hit you that hard did I?”

Ellie shook her head, “No, I’m just a bit too hot.” A lot of people were crammed into the room, taking advantage of the bar and dancing to all the music, and there wasn’t a lot of fresh air coming in. Pressing the chilled glass back against her head, Ellie gave a small smile, “Any idea where we’re going next?”

“I do, Rab and I were talking about it earlier.” Sylvando took the seat next to her, nodding towards where the others were starting to run out of red door sightings, “If we can pull them away from their treasure hunt for a little longer, we’re going to head north, towards the Eerie Eyrie. With any luck, the Silver Orb should still be there.”

“With any luck?”

“Well, it was stolen from its rightful owners a few years back, and it’s believed that’s where it was taken. Hopefully it’s still there.” Taking a sip of his own drink, Sylvando carried on, “From there, we’re going to take the _Salty Stallion_ into the northern seas, towards the kingdom of Snifleheim, so I’d enjoy the warmth while you can darling.”

Patting her shoulder, he went to re-join the party, pausing only to alert the treasure hunters that they were forgetting about a door in Gallopolis. As they hurried to include it on the list, Ellie sat back in her seat, and resolved that no matter what came next, she wouldn’t be returning to Phnom Nonh in a hurry.


	19. School Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a quick layover at l'Academie, the party discuss their next steps, and Jade gets a look at what might've been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if someone could please tell me how I managed to forget about the Purple Orb, that'd be great ^^"

Compared to their adventures so far, getting their hands on the Silver Orb was barely more than a bump in the road. Once they reached l’Academie, it was only a relatively quiet hike into the Eerie Eyrie, where just as Sylvando had promised, it was being guarded by monsters who had no intention of giving it back. Considering their trial on the other side of the mural, it was an easy fight, and they were back at the school before night fell.

From there, it would’ve been so easy for them to move onto the next destination as soon as the school laundry finished trying to rescue Ellie’s coat and Serena’s dress from the unforeseen consequences of disturbing a nest of bird monsters right after dinnertime. Personally, Jade thought their major problem wouldn’t be the stains, but keeping the coat from falling to pieces. In just the time she’d spent around Ellie the poor thing had gathered a fair few rips and tears, and it had been travelling for months before then.

But time to kill had only reminded them that they had forgotten something.

“It’s just a weird number!” Veronica protested when they retired to their shared room. “Three, five or seven, that’s how these things work!”

“You’re not wrong.” Jade shrugged. “But each orb belonged to a kingdom, or liege in Puerto Valor’s case. The only exception is Gallopolis, and they were given the Rainbough to guard.” At least they had, until the Sultan had decided that his son’s debut needed to be something special. It honestly made Jade fear a little for some of the other treasures she knew rested in their vault.

Making a small hum of understanding, Serena set the brush down and started tying her hair back for bed, “So it’s seven after all. Six orbs, and the artefact needed to find them.”

Ellie, who up until now had been trying to hang her borrowed uniform as the school matron had suggested, finally gave up and slumped onto her bed. She seemed to be working something out in her head, “So, who did the Yellow Orb belong to?”

“Dundrasil. It’s partially why Rab was so intent to grab hold of it, not counting the obvious, I mean.” Deciding to leave out some of the more colourful things Rab had said when they’d first seen the two prizes up for grabs, Jade quickly moved on, “The Purple Orb was Zwaardrust’s treasure, and since we haven’t heard about anything leaving those ruins in years, it’s likely still down there.”

“Probably sealed in with a huge monster that wouldn’t mind snacking on a group of treasure hunters.” Veronica huffed, and nobody tried to disagree. With how things were going, it’d be more surprising for them to just get in and out easily.

Before they could get any further into the topic, Serena took hold of the conversation to ask how they thought the male members of the party were getting on, Ellie briefly leaving the room to go and check. When she came back, she was biting her lip trying not to laugh, “One of the teachers caught a student sneaking Erik a love letter, and now their door’s being watched by the night matron.”

“Urgh, these girls must be sheltered!”

“Oh, Veronica!”

“You know I’m right!”

* * *

Questionable taste in men aside, the students of l’Academie were a wonder to Jade. She’d travelled far and wide with Rab, and never once had they come across anywhere like this, where humans and monsters lived in harmony. The entire place seemed utterly disconnected from the rest of the world, the students having few concerns beyond getting through their next lessons and becoming the graceful ladies that the school was so proud of producing.

That being said, they couldn’t stay for too long, and after the love letter fiasco, the party agreed that they shouldn’t outstay their welcome. “If we zoom to the Warrior’s Rest in, it’s a short walk to the Zwaardrust ruins. We’ll just have a quick look around to see if it’s still there.” Rab outlined, tapping the spots on the maps where the more well-known entrances were, “I’m putting my money on this spot here. There’s supposed to be a door locked by magic down there, and with the key we took from Phnom Nonh, getting in will be simple.”

“Aside from the huge monster probably waiting to chew our arms off.”

“Positive as ever, Veronica.” Erik toyed with the magic key (which considering she’d last seen Ellie putting it into her satchel raised a few questions for Jade), finally nodding his agreement to the plan, “So, when do we go?”

“As soon as Ellie and Serena have their things back.” Rab promised, rolling up the map, “Shouldn’t be too long.”

“I don’t know. They were graced with a lot of luck from those birds.” Sylvando muttered, ignoring Ellie’s faintly queasy look at the memory.

With that, everyone split up to make sure that everything else was packed and ready to go. Well, they tried to at any rate. Ellie, who looked like she hadn’t gotten much sleep, was running a little behind the others, and Jade stayed while she finished her breakfast. When they tried to leave the dining hall, they were stopped by a woman seated by the door with a small book open before her, “Ah, you are ze voyageurs Monsieur Medaille told me of, no?”

“Yes ma’am.” Ellie smiled, “I’m Ellie, and this is Jade.”

“A pleasure.”

When she turned to look at Jade properly, the woman’s face turned to surprise before settling into a pleased smile, “Ah, you remind me of a friend I had while a student here. She too had long, black ‘air.” Shaking her head, the woman introduced herself as Madame de Beauvoir, the school’s deputy headmistress, “I was wondering if our ‘onorary pupil would care to assist me with une equate privee, ah, a private investigation?”

Sending Jade a quick look that she guessed was meant to ask if they had the time to, Ellie eventually nodded, and took a seat opposite Madame de Beauvoir, eagerly listening. The long and short of it was that Madame de Beauvoir had found a diary in the school’s library, one that she suspected belonged to her old friend, and that contained a riddle that she was desperate to solve, but didn’t have the time to investigate properly.

“’Ere I will bury my memories, where ze shadow of ze birch tree zat we dreamed beneath stretches is ze evening light. All zat I leave behind, I leave to you, my dearest friend.’” Madame ran her finger along the lines she had read, a sad smile on her face, “I cannot help feeling zat it’s meant for me. My friend and I often sat on the swings beneath ze birch tree and talked about what our lives would be like when we were grandes personnes.”

“We’ll do our best.” Ellie promised, looking outside the window to the great birch tree. Jade did the same, thinking hard. As long as they thought about this logically, finding whatever treasure was out there shouldn’t take too long. Failing that, Jade was sure they’d think of some way to stall the others until evening fell and they could take a good look at where the shadow pointed.

Not quite resigned to that prospect though, Ellie raced to find and borrow the party’s compass, and Jade rescued Erik from the unyielding attention of the day matron. “It’s the girls that need watching, not me.” He grumbled, perking up when Jade mentioned they were going on a treasure hunt.

“It’s like Veronica said, they’re sheltered and I’m guessing they don’t get many male visitors here.”

It took her a second to realise Erik had stopped walking next to her, and when she turned, he had a strange look on his face, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m trying to figure out if that’s an insult or not.”

Deciding not to tell him what else Veronica had said, Jade gestured for him to keep moving. When they got outside, Ellie was already waiting by the tree, talking to another girl. The scene made both of them pause and blink, Erik finally breaking the silence, “Didn’t you say that you and Ellie would’ve gone here if she hadn’t been the Luminary?”

“Just like our mothers did, yes.” Jade’s mother had been older than Queen Eleanor, so while they had been at the school at the same time, they’d been years apart. They became close friends later in life, but Jade could never remember them sharing old school stories together, and when she’d asked, Queen Eleanor could only name the school, and tell Jade about all the fun she’d have when it was her turn to go.

Seeing Ellie dressed in the uniform, and chatting with a girl her own age was an interesting insight to what might’ve been, but also made Jade glad that she hadn’t leapt onto the uniform trend like the twins had. She’d be lying if she said she was happy with all the paths her life had taken, but she’d certainly led a more interesting life than some of these girls did. Certainly more than her mother had.

Finally noticing them staring, Ellie quickly finished her conversation with the other girl, waving goodbye before they parted, Ellie coming to them, the girl to lean against the tree in a manner that Jade might’ve found more intimidating if it wasn’t for how she returned Ellie’s wave with a friendly smile. “I was just asking Zazie whether she’s ever seen anything like what we’re looking for. She usually hangs around here, see.”

“And?”

“Well, she’s never found anything, and she’s never heard of the gardening staff finding it either. But she did say that they don’t dig that deep, usually just far enough to replace any flowerbeds that are wilting.” She pointed out towards the gardens, “We also worked out that the birch shadow would fall that way in the evening, give or take a bit.”

Armed with that information, and assured that whatever they were looking for was still there, the trio followed Ellie’s finger. “So, we’re looking in that direction, and I need to bury it close enough for my friend to know where to look, but also with some kind of marker to make it easier.” Erik hummed, casting his eyes around for a suitable spot. After what could only have been three seconds, he snapped his fingers, pointing at one of the round flower beds, “There.”

“You’re sure?” Jade asked, at the same time that Ellie said, “That was fast.”

“I’m sure. And I’ll bet dish duty that it’s right in the centre.” With those fighting words, Erik went to the spot he had marked, with Jade and Ellie hot on his heels. As much as they needed to find the buried treasure, Jade couldn’t help but hope he was wrong, if only because she could guarantee he’d get whoever was on cooking duty to make something that would take ages to clean. When they caught up, he was already crouching down, dagger buried to the hilt in the soil. With a huge grin, he pulled it out slightly before pushing back down, a dull, muffled, but still audible thud greeting their ears.

With each digging with a knife from his collection, the three of them were able to pry the layer of soil and flowers from on top of the box, Ellie holding as much on her lap as she could while they tried to get the container out. Jade thought about pointing out how dirty her uniform was going to get, but decided against it when she saw how Ellie was leaning forwards, trying to see what they were digging for. After a minute or two, Erik made a satisfied noise and plunged his arm into the hole, scrabbling and pushing dirt away before he was able to grip the box and yank it free.

Jade took hold of it while they replaced the flowers. It was smaller than she had expected, and tarnished by its years underground. Without thinking, she brushed away some of the soil, revealing that the wood had been painted blue at some pointed, and the whole box was decorated with gold. Narrowing her eyes, Jade tried to work out what was so familiar about it, but came up shot, right as Ellie’s hand settled on her shoulder, “Come on, we should get this back.”

* * *

It was strange to think that if things had gone differently, and she had come here as a student, she would’ve been under the tutelage of her mother’s best friend. Stranger still to think of the life she might’ve had, with girls her own age and no concerns beyond lessons and being perfect lady. And yet, with her hair tied back with her mother’s ribbon, and the warm smile of Madame de Beauvoir wishing them luck as they took their leave, Jade was content.

At least until Sylvando agreed to Erik’s suggestion that they have a curry when they got back to the ship, “Nothing too spicy though,” The thief insisted, throwing a grin over his shoulder, “After all, we don’t need another laundry layover.”

“I’m sure everyone can keep their food on their plate, sweetie.”

“That’s just what I was hoping you’d say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the UK now in more severe lockdown, and with a lot of later chapters sorted, I should be able to keep writing these and uploading them as regular. Please, please stay safe everybody!


	20. Snaerfelt Survival Guide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When harsh weather forces the party to pitch camp in a frozen land, Serena learns (or makes educated guesses) a little more about their resident thief.

Serena couldn’t be sure how long it had been exactly since she and Veronica had left Arboria to look for Ellie. The days had all just blurred into each other after a certain point, especially when nobody really bothered to keep an eye on the date. Which, by the way was something she fully intended to rectify when they dealt with the curse holding Sniflheim hostage. She’d meant to ask Queen Frysabel, but there never seemed to be a good time to bring it up, no matter how worried Serena was that they’d ploughed through a birthday or two without noticing.

However long it had been though, Serena knew it shouldn’t be this cold, even in the Snaerfelt. Whatever curse the witch had cast was clearly having more of an effect than they’d first thought, rendering the already hostile environment into one that she wasn’t sure they should even risk.

But with very little choice in the matter if they wanted to save Sniflheim’s people, they had bundled up in the clothes they had bought on the way north, packed every blanket they could find on the _Salty Stallion_ onto the first unfrozen horse they could find _,_ and set out into the snow.

Their expedition did not start smoothly. It was all they could do to keep the monsters away from them, let alone check the map or compass to make sure they were going in the right direction. When they tried to check the sun’s position, it was to see clouds had rolled in from somewhere to block their last hope.

At least, that was until Erik took the reins from Ellie, and shouted for everyone to follow him. Up to that point, he’d been as quiet as he had since they’d landed at Sniflheim’s gates. Serena had intended to pull him aside to find out what was bothering him, but that too had been pushed aside by the need for hurry, and he had actively dodged any attempt at conversation while they packed.

Now he was all action, shouting to be heard over the winds, and flinging boomerangs at any creature foolish enough to get close. When Veronica stumbled, and ended in a snowbank that came to her waist, he pulled her out and sat her on the saddle in one fluid movement. “Keep flexing your hands and feet, form fire if you need to.” He ordered, and stunned by his tone, Veronica did so.

That he seemed to be leading them in the wrong direction entirely didn’t matter. In fact, when Jade tried to hand him the map, he refused, promising that there wasn’t much further to go. What mattered was that he clearly had some sort of plan, and enough conviction that Serena didn’t dare doubt him. Besides, it was nice to see him talking again.

When they saw the Goddess statue sitting under an overhang, everyone was too relieved to ask how Erik knew it would be there, or how he had found it when the landscape was almost recognisable.

Setting up the tent was easier said than done, but between her, Jade and Sylvando, they were able to hold it in place while Rab hammered the pegs in. Veronica was in charge of placing stones on the edges to hold them down, while Erik and Ellie took the horse off, and came back laden with firewood and as much greenery as they had been able to find.

“We’ll need to keep the fire going all night,” He explained, building it up generously. When a snap of Veronica’s fingers had it alight, everyone took a second just to bask in the heat. “We’re going to need a rota.”

Serena was unsurprised when Ellie volunteered for the first watch, but kept her eyes on the stew pot. It was what was left over from the huge pot Dave had made the night before, when the northern winds had mixed with the sea mists. At the time, they’d all thought that was the coldest it could get, an idea Serena now smiled at.

Once they’d eaten, and started piling into the tent, Erik went to join Ellie by the horse. Coming back out with a few blankets Serena didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but once she started, it was impossible to stop, even as she got the vague sense of déjà vu. “As soon as you feel tired, get in the tent and wake me up.”

Ellie looked up from refilling the horse’s trough, a playful smile on her face. “You think I’m going to get tired?”

“I’m being serious Ellie.” Both girls straightened at Erik’s tone, Ellie losing her smile, “People come up here all the time thinking it’s a nice little holiday, and a lot of them end up freezing to death.” He ran a hand down his face, wiping away the flash of grief before Ellie could notice it. Serena sucked in a short breath as she realised what it meant. “The cold has a way of getting to you, making you feel ten times heavier than you actually are, that a little nap won’t hurt. The _second_ you feel that creeping in, you get in the tent and wake me up, understand?”

Ellie hesitated, but under Erik’s firm stare, she eventually gave a shaky nod. “I promise.”

Even under the heavy leather jacket and fur mantle, Serena was able to see Erik’s shoulders drop, lower than they had been all day. Just as quickly though, they came back up again, steeling him against the cold and the long night ahead. He turned, blinked in surprise to see Serena still outside, at least until he saw her armful of blankets, and completely missed the look Ellie sent at his back.

Biting her lip, Serena waited until Erik was inside and claiming his share of the blankets before speaking, just loud enough to be heard over the chatter inside, “Ellie…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything stupid.” The younger girl grinned, taking the blankets and wrapping them around herself. “I’m just going to make sure Erik doesn’t do anything stupid either.”

Knowing just how stubborn the pair of them could be, Serena was far from assured, but there was little she could do but curl up next to Veronica, and hope that they wouldn’t forget to wake her for her turn.

* * *

In the end it was a particularly loud snore from Rab that made her wake up. Judging by the general groaning, she wasn’t the only one, but Serena had only just closed her eyes again when they suddenly snapped open, and she was sitting up. Without a clock, it was impossible to know exactly how long she’d been asleep, but she was certain it had been a long time, if only because Ellie was lying across from her, frowning in her sleep.

Without thinking about it, Serena looked over to where Erik usually slept, and seeing the spot empty, let out a low sigh, and started extracting herself from the blankets. The top one, she wrapped around her shoulders, gripping it tightly closed as she stepped outside.

Erik’s head snapped round at her approach, his mouth going to say something that she ignored in favour of sitting beside him, “How long have you been out here?”

“Not that long. Go try and get some more sleep, I’ll wake you when it’s your turn.”

Serena didn’t move, keeping her eyes on the fire and ignoring Erik’s pointed gaze. The flames were still going strong, licking away happily at a large block that Erik must’ve only just thrown in. “Now that the winds aren’t so strong, I can see why people would come here.” And she could, really. With everything covered in a layer of untouched snow that sparkled in the firelight or the stars above, the Snaerfelt was truly beautiful. It was just a shame that said beauty came with thorns attached.

Realising that he wasn’t going to get rid of her any time soon, Erik shook his head, “There are plenty of places like this in the world, you just have to wait for winter. There’s no need to traipse all the way out here, nothing to see.”

Serena wondered who Erik had lost out here, and what had pulled them to the Snaerfelt in the first place, but with no diplomatic way to ask, she could only nod, “I think it’s more special when you wait for it.”

“Exactly.” Stretching his arms out behind him, Erik glanced up at the sky, “We’re not that far from Arboria, are we? What’s it like there?”

“Oh, it’s lovely. Veronica and I grew up in a house that sat right next to the Grove of Repose…” For a while, all that could be heard was her voice, telling him stories of her childhood, and going into enough detail that he’d probably be able to find his way around without a guide. When she started running out, she went into some of their wilder episodes, knowing full well Erik would likely store the information until he and Veronica had a snipping match and he needed ammunition. Every now and then he would ask a question, and she knew that while he hadn’t forgotten where they were, at least he wasn’t focusing on it.

When he tucked his head into his shoulder, tensing with the force of the yawn, Serena allowed herself a quick smirk before setting a hand on his arm. “Go to bed, Erik.” She ordered softly, but put enough steel into her tone that he would hopefully do as he was told. “I’ll watch the fire, then when I feel tired, Sylvando will take over, and Jade from him.” Erik tried to argue, but then he yawned again, giving her enough time to issue a quiet threat, “Go to bed, or I’ll tell Ellie you couldn’t follow your own advice.”

A kind but firm push sent him in the right direction, and when she was certain he had done as he was told, Serena spun back around, flexing her toes in her boots and wiggling her fingers underneath the blanket. They’d keep the fire burning, and in the morning when Erik woke up, they’d all be there, ready to continue onwards. They were all too stubborn to do anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week comes the chapter that has gone through more rewrites than any of the others, and that made me sit down and wonder why this game likes seeing its heroes getting hurt so much.


	21. Beggars Can't Be Choosers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Circumstances force Ellie and Hendrik into an uneasy but temporary truce. Are there any terms that will satisfy everyone, or will Ellie soon be taking a one way trip to Heliodor's dungeon?
> 
> AKA What if the others didn't arrive in time?

It had been a desperate hope, throwing that little frizz spell. With the witch’s attention on Hendrik and the ice creeping up her body, Ellie had been willing to try anything to get herself free or at least slow the process down. It hadn’t done a thing for the enchanted ice, but just when her arm had been fully encased, she’d snapped her wrist, and joy of joys it managed to catch the witch on the neck.

It did about as much damage as Ellie had expected (which is to say, none at all), but it _did_ cause her attention to falter, and that, it turned out was all they needed.

The ice holding them both shattered, and Ellie wasted a few precious seconds to keep her footing, and to grab her sword from where it had fallen. Hendrik had no such issues, and when Ellie stood straight again, it was to see that the witch, rather than take her chances now that the element of surprise had been lost, and run the risk of getting burned again, was flying off.

Only the thought of what horrors she intended for Sniflheim, now that the ones sent to stop her were trapped in this blizzard stopped Ellie from breathing in relief. Well, that and the fact that as far as she went, the troubles were far from over.

The second Hendrik turned back to her; Ellie brought her sword up. She needed both hands just to keep the point level, and already her fingers were straining with the effort. The last of her mana had gone on that spell, and she had no way of restoring it. If it came to an actual fight, she didn’t know what she’d do, but she wasn’t sure that having the knight simply stare at her was any better.

He’d made his intentions clear before the witch had shown up, and now there was nothing stopping him from making good on his threat. He was just as tired of all this as she was, and now all he had to do was wait for her to stop fighting, just like all she had to do was hold out until the others arrived. If the others weren’t still wandering in that blizzard…

It wasn’t fair. He had to be at least as cold as she was, yet while she was wrapped in furs and gloves that Erik had all but thrown at her, he just had his armour and cloak. Sure, the ice clinging to the fabric probably wasn’t helping any, and he had swapped his chainmail for padded leather, but he was still encased in metal. Why was she the only one shivering?

Ellie tried hard to summon up the courage that had gotten her this far, but if it was there, it was far from her reach. Could she even hold onto it once she had it?

She knew she would only get one move before Hendrik would capture her, and the odds were far from being in her favour. With the way her arms were shaking, it’d take a miracle for her to land a hit, and even then, she doubted she’d manage to hurt Hendrik enough that he wouldn’t respond. No, the second he got the chance he would finish what they had started in Dundrasil, only this time there was no convenient cliff to jump off, no chance for bargaining and no friends to help her. And the second he had Ellie he’d make sure that she wouldn’t get away this time.

_Then you need to run before he grabs you. It doesn’t matter where, just run. The others have probably regrouped and zoomed back to the city. Just worry about yourself for now._

With a yell that sounded more like a scream, she lunged as if she was going to attack. Only at the last second, did she fling the sword at him (it would only slow her down, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get it back in its sheath) and spin on her heel. She knew before turning that she had missed by a mile, but she heard Hendrik yell as he moved, following it with a shout for her not to be so foolish.

Ellie didn’t listen, too busy running in the direction she thought she had entered from, only breathing when she was surrounded on all side by trees. But she didn’t stop moving, ears straining for any sound of Hendrik or her friends.

Concentrating though, was easier said than done. The storm that had been bad enough in the clearing was far worse between the trees. With every step, she was slapped by winds travelling in one direction or another. She could feel ice forming on her eyelashes and in her hair, and though she tried to warm her hands by shoving them in her armpits, it was a lost cause.

Twigs caught and snapped in her face, scratching nearly every inch of skin they could get at. Further on came the howls and snarls of monsters, only kept at bay by some grace or belief that she wasn’t worth the chase. Every tree she passed blurred into the next, and as she went deeper into the Hekswood, Ellie lost hope of ever finding her way out again.

But still she forced her way through. Long after her legs regained feeling and lost it again, long after she became sure she was just going in circles, and that Hendrik, if he had followed her, was likely just as lost as she was. She ran, because the prospect of doing anything else was too much for her to think about right now.

Then her right foot snagged something, a root or a stone, whatever, and she was sent plummeting the ground with only a howl of pain to mark what had happened.

Remembering Erik’s words about falling asleep, Ellie pushed back against the darkness that tried to claim her. A second was all she allowed herself before pushing against the ground, suddenly glad that her hands could no longer feel the weight of her body. Her left foot found its footing easily, but the right buckled at once, sending her back to square one, ankle screaming at her for even trying.

Biting her lip, Ellie pulled herself along, pushing the snow from her path with one hand, and dragging against the ground with the other. There was a little hollow in the tree roots ahead, and with any luck she’d be shielded enough to try and heal her ankle, or summon the energy to zoom back to Sniflheim and warn the Queen. Maybe Hendrik was already on his way there, maybe her friends were, she didn’t know or care. At this stage, she’d settle for just getting to sit by the Queen’s fire for a little bit.

Resting her head against the roots, Ellie caught her breath, and tried to force her body to respond its next set of orders. It seemed though that it had reached the end of its patience with her, and now her arms sat uselessly in her lap, unwilling to twitch. They weren’t even shivering any more, not an unwelcome discovery, but probably not a good sign either. She tried remembering if Erik had said anything about that, only to come up blank.

This time, when the darkness started creeping back, Ellie found it harder to push away, head dropping into the fur collar of her cloak. The snow was already starting to cover her, and where it fell on it her face, it soothed the irritated skin. Surely there was no harm in lying here for a little bit, taking what comfort she could before carrying on? Just a minute, that’s all she needed…

“Eliza!”

Her eyes had already drifted closed when she heard the shout nearby, and when she opened her mouth to respond, all that came out was a weak moan. The call came again, closer this time, Sylvando’s voice warped beyond all recognition by the wind and her own tiredness. But it was him, she knew it had to be. Nobody else called her Eliza, nobody but Rab, and he wouldn’t be alone out here. Jade wouldn’t let him.

She heard the shout again, coming from maybe a metre away. Ellie tried to force her eyes open, but the snow in her lashes had frozen together, and it felt like too much work to prise them apart. Licking her lips, Ellie took as deep a breath as she could, nearly choking on the mouthful. But it was enough for her to let out a shaky call, practically hidden under the next gust of wind. “Sylv, over…” The coughing returned, forcing her face back into her cloak collar.

For a second, she thought her plea had gone unheard, but the snow began crunching again, hurried, heavy and getting closer. A hand settled on her cheek, no warmer than her surroundings yet somehow so much better, before withdrawing just as quickly. Not that it mattered. The calls had held sleep back, but it returned now, helped along by the blanket that was thrown over her body before she was being lifted, one hand at her back, the other under her knees, pausing only to adjust her cover.

She wanted to tell Sylvando what had happened, to warn him that Hendrik might still be lurking somewhere, but then they started moving, and it was so much harder to stay awake when she was swaying back and forth, and her head was resting against his neck, his pulse slowing into a regular rhythm as they crunched back through the snow.

* * *

At one point she might’ve noticed that she was warm again, truly warm, but any pleasure she might’ve took was covered up by the unrelenting pain in her leg. Someone was pulling on her boot, trying to get at her ankle. Something in the back of her mind knew they weren’t purposefully hurting her, but that didn’t stop her from screaming and kicking out with her good leg, trying to get them to stop.

She was too warm now, and crying out for the others, begging Sylvando to tell her they were fine, but no such assurance came. Instead someone coaxed her into drinking from a sweet-smelling cup, telling her to go back to sleep. She fought for as long as she could, but then they went back to her ankle, and she quickly gave in.

True awareness returned in much the same way it had left, slowly at first, then all at once. The horrible heat from before had been replaced by the comfortable weight of a blanket, and the cheerful crackle of a fireplace nearby. Two solid lumps sat either side of her, and there was another one at her toes. When she lifted the blanket, it was to see that she had been stripped of her coat and furs, and the lumps were actually bricks, still clinging to the last vestiges of the fire they’d been sat in before they’d been put in her bed.

There was a quiet gasp from the doorway, but whoever it was had slammed the door closed before she could see who it was, brow furrowing in confusion. It hadn’t sounded like any of her friends…

Pushing that to one side, she slowly started to get out of the bed properly. Her ankle didn’t make any complaints when she put her weight on it, so whatever they’d been trying to do before must’ve worked. The rest of her clothes were hung in front of the fire, steaming slightly, but it was the table that she went to, pulling her satchel close and checking that everything was there. All six Orbs, her mask from the tournament, Lorelei’s harp and…She pulled her mother and Chalky’s letters out, praying that they were alright.

Before she could think about unfolding them, the cabin door swung open, letting in a blast of cold air, and a small man in a scholar’s cap who hurriedly slammed it shut again. At seeing Ellie, he blinked in surprise, “Ah, so he was telling the truth. Are you feeling better, friend?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good, good. I’ll fetch your companions. There are some things we shall need to discuss, but one of them was quite insistent on speaking with you first.”

He left, and while Ellie waited for the others, she went over to the fire to grab her coat. Even though the door hadn’t been open for long, it was enough to make her start shivering again. Just as she finished the last buckle, the door knocked. She yelled for them to come in and plastered a smile on her face, preparing herself for the mother of all lectures from Sylvando, Rab or Erik, if they’d found him, only for it to drop immediately.

It wasn’t Sylvando standing in the doorway, or her grandad. It wasn’t even Erik.

Hendrik didn’t waste any time with pleasantries, fixing her with a hard glare as he shut the door behind him, “Do not bother trying to run. You’ve almost died once through your stupidity, and I’d rather it not be twice.” He grabbed her by the shoulders before she could even think about going for the nearest window, steering her to a stool and holding her there, even when she stopped fighting him. To her surprise, he then took a seat himself, albeit one close enough to grab her if she tried to escape. “You caused us no small amount of trouble, girl, not least forcing us to seek shelter here while you recovered.”

“Well, sorry for not sticking around so you could drag me back to you king.” Ellie snapped, well aware that it probably fell flat given the situation. She wasn’t in the mood to play Princess Eliza now though, no matter how much more talkative Hendrik and Jasper had been around her.

Her eyes fell on the two envelopes still on the table, and she hastily shoved them back into her satchel. Hendrik’s eyes had followed her move but made no comment, still fixed with that stern glare, “That’s the only reason you’ve brought me here, isn’t it? Your king wouldn’t be happy to hear that you let the Luminary have a nice peaceful death out in the snow when there’s a perfectly good axe waiting in Heliodor!”

“Show some respect girl, because King Carnelian’s wish to have you tried properly is the only reason you have been able to escape us before.”

“Tried properly? And what is so proper about hauling me to the dungeons at spearpoint without a word of caution or warning, and then hunting me across the entire continent!” Ellie jumped to her feet, unsurprised when he did the same so he could go on looming over her, even if it was slightly off-putting “As far as the Dark One’s existence goes, your king is correct. There is something threatening the world and it needs stopping, but killing _me_ won’t put a stop to it!”

“Enough!” Hendrik slammed his fist onto the table, nearly splintering the wood. Ellie backed away, but when his eyes found hers, he was reasonably calm again, or at least able to pretend he was, “I did not bring you here to bicker needlessly, girl. You saved my life in that clearing, and I have repaid the favour. Now, I have a proposal for you, and should you agree, your return to Heliodor will be postponed. Unless of course you’re unable to have a civil conversation, in which case, my men out there will be more than happy to chain you hand and foot for the foreseeable future.”

“Put like that, how could I refuse?” Returning to the table but not sitting down, Ellie gestured for him to go on, but something occurred to her at the last second, “If we’re going to talk, then you’re going to use my name. None of this ‘Darkspawn’ or ‘girl’ rubbish, I know you know my name, so use it.”

A vein rose on Hendrik’s forehead, but he did nod, “Very well, Eliza.”

Biting back the idea of asking if that was really so hard, Ellie took her seat again, resting her head on a fist. She thought to ask about the others, but guessed that Hendrik either didn’t know, or wouldn’t tell her a thing until his questions had been answered. She’d play his game for now.

Strangely, all he seemed to want to know about was what had happened in Gondolia. Hiding her confusion, Ellie told him as much as she dared to. From Placido’s curse to their escape, no detail was left out. At first, she kept her answers basic, not wanting to lose what goodwill she’d gained by ‘lying’ about his friend. But all he seemed to care about was Jasper’s involvement, asking her question after question.

How had he captured Erik? Why had he seen the need to curse Placido? Why had he been so certain that their escape on the _Stallion_ would be a failure?

The longer he questioned her, and the more times he forced her to remember that night, her tongue loosened, until she finally let slip about the magic Jasper had used. Hendrik twitched, but made no excuse for his comrade instead prompting Ellie to go on about the monster Jasper had ordered to attack them at sea, and all the innocent people he’d risked hurting.

“And you’re not surprised by any of this, are you?” She finished, staring at the chain she could just make out under his breastplate. One of a pair, the witch had said, and by how Hendrik treasured it and what she knew of him, she could only think of one other person who would have the other. “You think he’s the one who set the witch free in exchange for freezing us.”

“For freezing me.” Hendrik corrected. “You’ll notice the witch didn’t look your way until you threw that spell.”

“You’re not denying it.”

“Whether I believe Jasper has been corrupted somehow is none of your concern.” Taking that to mean yes, Ellie kept her mouth shut, watching Hendrik rub at his eyes and wondered when the man had last slept. Then she remembered who he was, and forced the concern back down. “I cannot properly investigate while this witch runs free in Sniflheim, but nor can I ignore the possibility while the King is left unguarded.”

Ellie worked out what he was trying to say, and decided to spare him from having to ask. “You want me to take care of the witch so you can look into Jasper. Doesn’t that go against your orders to capture me?”

“Believe me, if I had any other choice, I would take it.” Hendrik rose from him seat to stand by the window. Checking on his men, she supposed, or just glaring at a very unfortunate lump of snow. “You wish to prove that you’re on the side of light, with the best interests of the world at heart? Then I give you this chance. But should I finish my business and hear that Sniflheim is still frozen, that the witch still runs free…”

“Yes, I know. We’re back to you chasing me across the continent screaming Darkspawn.” That vein in Hendrik’s forehead twitched again. “I can’t do anything until I know where my friends are, but you have my word that we’ll do everything possible to lift the curse.” She left the sentence hanging, inviting him to fill the resulting silence with any information he had.

Hendrik didn’t take up the offer, though she doubted it was out of spite. He simply carried on staring out of the window, happy to drag out the awkward silence that now sat between them. A horn blew in the distance outside, followed by shouts and calls as Hendrik’s men scrambled into position, but the knight himself still didn’t move, even when the scholar burst in again. “The people you asked your men to look out for are approaching, Sir Hendrik. Six of them, just like you said.”

“Thank you, Snorri. We’ll take our leave now.” Hendrik pulled away at last, ignoring the look of utter horror on Snorri’s face.

“But, the witch…”

“Please give whatever information you have to Eliza; since she’ll be the one dealing with your witch.” Snorri gave her a slightly disbelieving look that she returned with a shrug. “There’s no need to worry.” Hendrik added, right before he exited, “She and her companions are mostly able, and hopefully they’ll stop her from running into another blizzard.”

Was it Ellie’s imagination, or was that supposed to be some kind of joke at her expense? One look at Snorri said he wasn’t sure either, but Hendrik was gone before she could ask him, he and his men crunching their way through the snow, their footsteps soon replaced by more frantic sets.

Erik was the first at the door, closely followed by Jade, both of them breathing hard and with her abandoned sword slung over Erik’s shoulder.

Jade was the first one to recover, quickly running her eyes up and down Ellie’s body before wrapping her in a tight hug, “Are you alright? We found your sword in the clearing, but when we tried following the tracks we just got lost. It was Veronica that suggested we try here, and then we heard that horn…”

“And saw a unit of Heliodor’s finest on their way out.” Erik scowled.

“I’m fine.” Ellie promised, patting Jade’s back in a plea for release. She did, and Ellie felt her ribs sigh in relief. “Snorri said there were six of you, are the others-“

“We’re all here, sweetie.” Sylvando came in a second after his voice did, closely followed by the twins and Rab. The jester did the same as Jade, and when it was clear Ellie was unharmed, he relaxed a little, “Very interested in just where you thought you were going, but I suppose that story will have to wait.”

“Not too long, I hope. We were walking in circles for ages before I remembered this cabin.” Serena tutted at her sister, taking her turn to look Ellie over. Resigned to it by now, Ellie let her do it, flashing Veronica a sorry smile that got waved off with forced flippancy.

“Aye lass, you had us worried, wandering off like that.” Rab stroked his moustache, staring at the door they had all just come through. “Not like Hendrik though, to leave without a fight.”

“I suppose he was just as tired as the rest of us, and didn’t want to risk his men so soon after that blizzard.” Serena suggested, finally satisfied that Ellie was in one piece.

As she was released once more, Ellie caught sight of Snorri, who was clearly trying not to intrude on the moment while also doing his best to be noticed. With no time to get into things properly just yet, Ellie forced her mind back onto the mission properly, calling for him to share what his research had shown up.

There was a witch to deal with, a city to save and a promise that she fully intended to keep. Everything else could wait for just a little bit longer. It was just another day on the job, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week we'll be hearing from a whole new character. I wonder if any of you will guess who?


	22. Two Sides of the Same Coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sensing victory at hand, Mordegon considers his former friend's descendants, while another, unseen player plans beyond checkmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those of you who guessed Mordegon, congratulate yourself!

Not for the first time, Mordegon wondered what had happened to Drustan after he settled down in Zwaardrust. Not out of any genuine curiosity, it was more an annoying feeling that he knew precisely what Drustan had done, and that its end result was the man standing in front of him.

In the years since Dundrasil had fallen, Hendrik’s loyalty had never come into question. He was the perfect soldier, following every order to the letter whether he liked it or not. Until recently, Mordegon had been careful to keep his order to ones that wouldn’t give Hendrik any reason to doubt his king, leaving the ah…messier tasks for Jasper to handle. He couldn’t afford to have Hendrik turn against him, at least not until it was unavoidable.

Mordegon did his best to remember that when Hendrik returned from Sniflheim earlier than expected. As always, he heard the knight’s report in the throne room, and by the end of it, he was reminded why Jasper, while a loyal servant in his own right, shouldn’t be given too much freedom in how he followed orders.

He had sat silent throughout the spiel, aside from a slight flinch when Hendrik revealed the agreement he and the Luminary had reached, but with his head bowed, the knight hadn’t seen it. When at long last Hendrik stopped speaking and raised his head, Mordegon had schooled Carnelian’s features into a stern frown, one that worked wonders in situations like this. “Working with monsters, attempting to kill a fellow knight…these are serious allegations, Sir Hendrik. Can you be absolutely certain that you have not been deceived in any way?” He pretended to consider the matter, “Perhaps the Darkspawn engineered the entire scenario, in order to sow distrust among those hunting her?”

Blaming everything on the Luminary was a cheap tactic, but the results it had couldn’t be understated. When he thought about how the story had first come about, when he’d been grasping for an explanation what Hendrik had burst into that room and seen too much, well, Mordegon wasn’t too modest to admit to his own genius.

But for once, the story that had cemented Hendrik’s loyalty in the first place failed, the knight giving a respectful but adamant shake of his head, “No sire. The witch would’ve frozen us both if not for the Dark-“ He hesitated, and Mordegon fought hard to conceal his scowl when Hendrik continued, “Princess Eliza’s spell. Before then, the witch had described Jasper’s amulet, and on my way to return here, I journeyed to Gondolia. The people there were reluctant to speak to myself or my men, but those that did gave testimony similar to the princess’s own account.”

“I see.” Mordegon said, already deep in thought.

Jasper had been told that if he wanted his revenge on Hendrik, he was free to take it, but only if it didn’t get in the way of the orders he was given. Mordegon had been equally insistent that if the Luminary happened to wander in to save the day as seemed to be her habit, she was to be captured alive, or not at all. He’d been deliberately vague about how much harm they could do to her in the process, knowing that both knights would likely sit on opposite ends of that spectrum, but he needed her alive, at least until he had what he needed from her.

He’d learnt the hard way that a dead Luminary held no power, and he didn’t intend to lose his chance at attaining the key to Yggdrasil’s heart a second time. And yet he almost had, all because Jasper had involved another in his personal quest for vengeance without lingering to make sure all went as planned, leaving his master to clean up after him.

A pettier person would simply turn Hendrik loose, and deal with the consequences later, but Mordegon did not have the luxury of pettiness at present. Not when Hendrik was questioning things, and certainly not when victory was close enough to taste, and yet too far away to be certain.

No, he could still turn this to his advantage. He just had to pray that Hendrik’s loyalty ran deeper than his suspicions did.

Rising from the throne, Mordegon descended the stairs towards Hendrik, but turned before reaching him, instead going over to the window. Off in the distance, Yggdrasil seemed as far away as ever, completely ignorant of his plans. He didn’t look at Hendrik as he spoke, wary that the knight would be searching for any reason to disbelieve him.

“It was Sir Jasper that first told me of the Darkspawn. At the time, I dismissed it as the worried ramblings of a loyal knight. His concerns held some merit, after all, the darkness cannot exist without the light, but there was little evidence for the theory. Yet, I’m ashamed to say those ramblings may have influenced my own view of Dundrasil’s fall, and King Irwin’s corruption.” Mordegon brought his hand to his face, covering his eyes as if he was grief-stricken. “To think I allowed my own fears and paranoia to colour my judgement even now. All the innocent people that might’ve been harmed…”

“You are not to blame, sire. Jasper fooled us all.” There was nothing in Hendrik’s tone that suggested suspicion, so Mordgeon chanced a look over his shoulder. He was satisfied to see righteous fury on the knight’s face, even when it turned his way, “But if he truly has turned from the right path, I fear there is not much time to stop him. As soon as the witch is defeated, Princess Eliza will certainly move towards Yggdrasil, and if Jasper has any plans left, he will certainly spring them soon.”

“Then we cannot waste a second more. Gather what supplies you need, and tell the servants that I shall require travelling clothes and my horse. When you are ready to leave, send word, and I shall meet you at the city gate.”

“Sire?”

“Jasper performed his treachery under my very nose, and in my ignorance, I allowed him to do so. I will remain blind no longer.” He held Hendrik’s stare until the loyal knight gave a grave nod and left, all ready to rescue the princess from the trap she was walking into.

When the throne room doors were closed behind him, Mordegon finally breathed in relief, even as he smirked triumphantly. Jasper would be surprised when they arrived at the Heart of Yggdrasil, but likely wouldn’t complain too much. Their presence would save the effort of transporting or holding both the Luminary and the Sword of Light, and would bring them closer to the end of this feeble world.

Mordegon was looking forwards to seeing the Luminary again. He wanted to see how much of Erdwin was left in his descendent, whether she would fight to the end as he had, or if she would be intelligent enough to know when to listen to that little voice in her ear, the one that plagued all those with power. He had heard it many times while travelling with Erdwin, and its suggestions had put him in power, while Erdwin had shunned the whispers, only ever admitting to hearing them the once before quickly swearing never to let them rule him. There was no doubt that his descendant heard it too.

Yes, he would be interested in which choices this Luminary made. And privately, Mordegon hoped she would be smart enough to realise the futility of fighting and simply give him what he wanted. If she did, then he saw no reason to end her life just yet. Why waste a symbol as powerful as the Luminary, especially when he would soon have all the time in the world to mould her as he wished?

To twist and corrupt the last of Erdwin’s line into the very thing he had feared becoming would make victory all the sweeter, and any resistance against his rule would surely be snuffed out when they realised that their precious Luminary was the Darkspawn they had feared after all. It would take patience, and no doubt the fight would not leave her all at once, but children were quick learners.

And if she did resist? Well, trophies were equally as useful as symbols. He would just have to find somewhere to hang her broken body, so that there would be no question of the punishment for defiance. And she _would_ break, no matter how long or what it took to do so.

He would accept nothing less.

* * *

In a little house sat on a little lake in a little world where people seldom came to visit, the Seer opened her eyes. As the last whispers of the vision vanished, she rose to her feet and went to the window, looking out over her little lake with a soft frown.

The last pieces had fallen into place, and it was too late to halt the events that were now in motion, but not too late to prepare for them. The Luminary and her allies would do their best, but things were already out of their hands, even if they didn’t know it yet.

With a last look at her peaceful little world, she prepared to leave it for the realm of Nautica, and the one who would be her chief ally in the next stage of this fight. Queen Marina knew better than most that her warnings were to be heeded, and that certainty would allow the Seer to see to business elsewhere.

Namely, making sure another of her prophecies would be allowed to come true, no matter how that came to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I'm going to try getting that creep's voice out of my head, before he infects the rest of this story.


	23. Land of the Faithful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last stop before the party heads up to Yggdrasil.

Arboria was as beautiful as Serena and Veronica had described, and after their second trek through the Snaerfelt (pausing only to gawp when they passed an ice-encased dragon), it was nothing short of paradise. The air was just as brisk as it was at the mountain’s base, but the lack of a harsh wind made it more refreshing than biting, with everyone feeling comfortable enough to shed a few layers as they reached the city.

But more than that, Ellie was glad that for once, the homecoming wasn’t tainted by any underlying tragedy. Sure, there was a lot of surprise when Veronica’s predicament was revealed, but nobody seemed particularly bothered by it. If anything, the entire situation invited jokes from a group of people about the twins’ age, with Veronica firing back each and every time.

Even when attention came her way there was no shadow following it. For once she didn’t have to worry about a legion of guards appearing out of nowhere, or having to hope nobody looked at her hand. Here, they were welcomed without having to earn it, and without having to hide anything.

When they had arrived, it had been late afternoon, and by the time Father Benedictus finished showing them around the cathedral, and told them the story of Erdwin and Serenica, the sage who had accompanied him, it had gotten too late to set out again. So, the doors to the First Forest and Yggdrasil’s base remained locked for just one night more, and everyone joined the party going on in the main square.

It was supposed to be for the baby that had been baptised that afternoon, but with the vast majority of Arboria still reeling from their arrival, Ellie was worried that they had hijacked the event. So the first thing she did, after accepting another round of welcome and well-wishing, as well as greeting Serena and Veronica’s parents, was to ask around for the new parents, until she was pointed towards a couple very much at the centre of the proceedings.

They didn’t seem bothered by the split attention, but Ellie was still worried, enough to edge her way closer, before her cover was blown by the father looking her way. His face lit up, and he said something to his wife that made her look round too. “Luminary, it’s an honour to meet you. Is there something we can help you with?”

“I just wanted to apologise. We didn’t mean to invade such an important day, and if we’d known…”

The father held up a hand to stop her, but it was his wife, who spoke, looking at her son with nothing but love in her eyes as she did. “Your arrival during his baptism can only mean that Yggdrasil has great plans for our son.”

“Even so. Thank you for allowing us to share in your celebrations.” Unsure what else to say, Ellie went to leave, but paused when the mother spoke again.

“Would you like to hold him?”

“Oh! I mean, yes if you’re sure you don’t mind…”

“We wouldn’t offer if we did.” The baby’s mother assured, already making to pass him over.

The last time Ellie had held a baby this small was when Cole had been born. She and Gemma had been so proud to be given the responsibility, but he had been such a wriggly little thing that they hadn’t lasted long before giving him back. After that they’d been careful to wait until the village children were a little bigger, or until they were able to cope with their armful.

This little boy was nothing like Cole had been. He stirred in his sleep as his mother passed him over, keeping a hand under his head until he was settled in Ellie’s arms, but didn’t wake or start fussing. Staying as still as she could to avoid waking him, Ellie couldn’t resist cooing at him, just about holding back a squeal as she looked back to his parents, “Congratulations, both of you.”

“We never thought we’d be blessed. But now that he’s here, I can safely say he was worth every second we had to wait.”

Ellie ran a finger down the baby’s cheek, wiping away a bit of drool that had gathered there. “Yeah, I bet he is.”

The festivities lasted maybe an hour longer, petering out when the new parents bid their farewells. Serena and Veronica left with their parents, promising to meet them at the cathedral early the next morning, with the underlying threat that if they weren’t there on time, Veronica would drag them there.

Not that she had much reason to worry. Erik and Rab were both intent on getting an early night, Erik because he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep the whole time they were in Sniflheim, and Rab because the mountain pass had taken it out of him in a way Ellie was careful not to comment on. Even Sylvando, though outwardly energetic as usual, admitted he probably wouldn’t be up for much longer.

Jade lasted a little longer, with her and Ellie chatting in their room for about an hour after going up. All too soon though, Jade was dead to the world, and Ellie was sat in the dark, too keyed up to sleep. Oh she tried, but no matter how much she tossed and turned, trying to find the position that would send her straight to dreamland, no matter how many sheep she counted, no matter how long she squeezed her eyes shut for, sleep just would not come.

She gave up trying in the end, and ended up climbing back out of bed in search of a distraction that thankfully, wasn’t too far away.

Setting up the forge and getting some smithing done was out of the question, but there was a small stack of paper on the table in the corner, probably in case any guests needed to write a letter during their stay. Certain they wouldn’t miss a few sheets, Ellie sat herself at the small desk, and set to work.

Moving only to look between her drawings and the book of designs, she didn’t notice time slipping away until she was scribbling out her fifth attempt at copying the model. The sound of footsteps on the marble drew her out of her reverie, just in time for Jade’s head to appear over her shoulder, doing her best to examine the desk through her rapid blinks.

After a second or two, Jade let out a soft hum and pulled away, “It’s a bit late for doodling, isn’t it?”

“Just couldn’t get to sleep.” When Jade made no sign of moving, Ellie set her pencil down and looked her in the eye, “I promise, it’s nothing to worry about.”

“No, you just look like you’re planning to go another night without sleep, and you were pretty vicious with that scribble just now.” Jade raised an eyebrow, “Come on, tell me what’s wrong, or I’ll have no choice but to resort to embarrassing nicknames, and I warn you, I won’t stop in front of the others.”

Pretending to shudder at the thought, Ellie pulled the design book over, tapping the picture she’d been trying to adapt. “I’m thinking about making this, for after Yggdrasil.”

Moving the candle over, Jade traced the sketch with her eyes, “This looks familiar. One of the ones you got from Puerto Valor?”

“Yeah. I’d need to change the materials I’d use, and maybe make some chainmail. But if I can do it…” She cut herself off while she could. It had been a while since she’d had a big project to work on, and she was looking forwards to making each piece and putting it all together, but she was aware that the others weren’t as enthusiastic about the forge as she was.

_Probably because half the time you’re working on that instead of sleeping._

Instead of taking the chance to escape though, Jade went to the other chair in the room and dragged it over to the desk, “But something’s bothering you, right? Is that what’s keeping you up?”

“Not really, I just thought I’d work on it until I feel tired. Grandpa’s coat’s going to give up eventually, and I don’t want to get caught short when it does.” What she didn’t say was that she had every intention of quitting before it got that far. It had served her well since her mum had given it to her, and to repay that service by letting it get torn to pieces on the road was unthinkable. No, Ellie would take it as far as Yggdrasil, but after that she would put it away somewhere safe.

“Sound plan, so what’s stopping you working through the night like normal?”

“This part.” Ellie pointed to the surcoat the model in the sketch was wearing. The tailor in Puerto Valor had told her that this was typically the most personalised part of the outfit, usually decorated with a family crest or some pattern to brighten up the otherwise plain design. Ellie hadn’t put much thought into what she’d put on hers, something she was kind of glad of now. “I’m going to leave it out, but I don’t know what to replace it with.” She rested her head on her fist, “And I can’t just go without something, because the mail vest needs covering.”

“What about a breastplate or something like that?”

“I don’t think I could move properly in it, not like I could in mail.” Truth be told Ellie wasn’t as skilled with mail as she would’ve liked, but this outfit would offer less protection than Chalky’s coat did. And with no idea what lay ahead, she’d feel a lot more confident with a layer of metal between her and whatever Yggdrasil planned to throw her at.

Jade hummed a little, and reached for Ellie’s design pile, before she seemed to think better of it and moved towards their packs instead. She directed her words over her shoulder as she rummaged, though how she could see what she was looking for was beyond Ellie, “If you don’t mind me asking, why the sudden aversion to surcoats?” She paused in her hunt, throwing a sharp look at Ellie, “It’s not because the Heliodor soldiers wear them, is it?”

“Nothing like that. It’s just…Erdwin was wearing one in the cathedral paintings. I don’t want to look like I’m copying him, like I’m just the girl version.”

Seeming to have found what she was looking for, Jade straightened back up, flicking through the pages of the book in her hands. As she came closer, Ellie saw that it was the book Rab had given her on the ship, and wondered what Jade was planning.

She didn’t have to wait long before the book was set next to her drawings on the table, Jade holding the page down and pointing to one of the pictures, “How about this?” It was a diagram of a type of brigandine, labelled as a jack of plates. “It should be thick enough to protect you without mail underneath, and would probably weigh a lot less too.”

“Depends what metal I use.” Still the idea had merit to it, and Ellie thoughtfully pulled the first design over. It would look like she was just wearing a sleeveless doublet, so she wouldn’t have to worry about changing out of her armour when they were in town relaxing. And if she still wanted to add some decoration later, she could also add embroidery to the skirt later (or bribe someone who could actually sew into doing it for her.) “It could work. What made you think of this?”

“Some soldiers in Dundrasil would wear them under their plate armour as an extra defence, and we’d sometimes see mercenaries on the road wearing them.” Tucking a piece of paper between the pages as a bookmark, Jade got up and stretched a bit. “Do you need help with anything else?”

“No, I should be fine now.” Ellie caught a yawn just in time to smother it, “Thanks Jade.”

“You’re welcome.” Jade smiled, before setting a hand on her shoulder, “Now, I’m going to go back to bed, and I suggest you do the same. Otherwise, I might be too tired to remember anyone’s name, and while I can work around the others, I’ll just have to call _you_ the Luminellie until I remember.”

“You said if I told you, there’d be no nicknames!”

“I’ll be too tired to remember making that promise.” With a last wink, Jade returned to bed, keeping one eye on Ellie until she had packed everything up, and was under her own blanket again.

Sleep came quickly, and just like their welcome, there wasn’t a single shadow to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter and the next are pretty much filler. Not a lot happens but I didn't want to skip straight to Yggdrasil, but there will be parts that pertain to later chapters.
> 
> The outfit Ellie's designing is inspired by a character called Anlucia from DQX, though without the surcoat/tabard she's wearing. When I was looking through the illustrations book for inspiration, I kept coming back to her pictures. I have drawn out a proper design, which I might post on Tumblr at some point (i.e. if I remember) but not right away, since part of the gear only gets added in a later chapter, and I don't want to reveal anything just yet :)


	24. The Night Before the New Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With mere hours before their date with destiny, Erik knows that sooner or later he'll have to tell the truth. Until then though, he's determined that nothing's going to get in their way.

For a place acting as the bridge between one of the world’s holiest sites, and the most devout settlement Erik had ever seen, the First Forest was home to a lot of monsters. It seemed like they couldn’t go more than a few steps without something jumping out at them, and when there was a second’s peace, there wasn’t much time to do more than swallow a few herbs or cast a few healing spells.

The endless wrong turns weren’t helping much either. When he’d heard that only people with Benedictus’s express permission were allowed past, Erik had assumed that there’d be at least some people through the years who broke the rules and crept up here to get as close to Yggdrasil as possible, enough to leave at least some indication of which way to go.

He was wrong.

About five hours later after Ellie’s declaration that they couldn’t be that much farther from the altar (and only two after Rab’s back had forced them to pitch camp again), it was finally time for bed, but in sharp contrast to the night before, Erik wasn’t ready to call it a night when the others did. Besides, Jade had asked him to take ‘Luminellie Watch’ when she’d seen that he was going to be up for longer, and the noise of complaint it drew from Ellie had been too funny for him not to agree.

So, while she set the forge up to finish the strange project she’d been working on during their lunch break, Erik rolled one of the logs as close as he could without getting in the way, and settled in for however long it would take. The sound of her hammer was oddly soothing, a perfect rhythm to the strikes no matter how much force went into the swing.

If he closed his eyes, he might’ve been in the Manglegrove again, back when everything was nice and relatively simple. He said as much, adding, “If I’d known this was where jumping off that cliff would take me, I’d have left you with that old nun.”

“No, you wouldn’t.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Erik cracked one eye open, watching her work. Every swing of her hammer sent up a small spray of sparks that illuminated parts of her face while leaving others in shadow. The effect would’ve been pretty creepy if not for the fact that Ellie was all focus. Had she been grinning or pulling any other expression, Erik might’ve thought twice, but as it was, he was just curious over what had her attention.

At long last the forge erupted with light, and Ellie finally breathed before, literally bouncing in excitement, she reached the lid, just as Erik’s ears twitched, his head turning to look down the trail for the source. Ellie didn’t seem to notice the noise, too busy folding the leather vest and adding it to the pile from earlier, but just as Erik started to relax, he heard it again.

A soft crackle of leaves, like something was walking over them…

The noise shouldn’t have stuck out like it did. They were in a forest for crying out loud, filled with creatures that had spent the day hunting them at every turn. But something about it made Erik sit up, holding a finger to shush Ellie before she could ask what was wrong.

“Stay here.” He ordered, resting his hands on his knives. After thinking about it for a second, he drew both of them, just in case whatever was out there turned out to be hostile. Moving low and slow, he stepped out from the statue’s enchantment, scanning the area for whatever had disturbed them. He kept one foot near the edge though, ready to dart back behind the barrier in case it was just another monster tying their luck.

The idea of it being anything else, of something following them this close to Yggdrasil should’ve been ridiculous, but Erik wasn’t prepared to feel safe until they were actually up there. Just because the First Forest was supposed to be out of bounds, didn’t mean it was, and it really would just be their luck to get this close and have something happen.

He was tired of things getting in the way.

The sound of a sword leaving its sheath should’ve made him nervous, but instead he sent a half-hearted glare at Ellie, who just shrugged and stood next to him. If something did lunge at them, they probably wouldn’t have much time to do more than shout to the others and hope Rab wouldn’t snore over it.

Erik would’ve crept forwards if he could, but there was too much ground to cover, and while he and Ellie worked well together, these monsters were a different breed. Better to just see if they would need to wake the others up, or whether it could wait until morning.

They waited, holding their breath, yet there was no other sign. No strange breathing or any more footsteps, just the normal noises of a forest settling in for the night. Even with two of them out in the open, nothing emerged from the brush to lunge at them, and though Erik tried, he couldn’t see any eyes watching them from the trees.

Slowly, he returned his knives, ready to pull them both out again if it was just a ruse. The forest stayed silent as they slid home, and though he held his breath, nothing changed while Ellie did the same for her sword. He waited another few seconds, but still nothing came. He was just jumping at shadows.

Ellie kept her mouth shut until they were back behind the barrier, biting her lip until they were safe. “Something’s bothering you.” It wasn’t a question, and Ellie raised an eyebrow before he could try and deny it, “You’ve been on edge since we spent the night in the Snaerfelt, before that even.”

“I’m just being stupid, don’t worry about it.” He steered himself back towards his log, only for Ellie to jog a few steps ahead to block his path, arms crossed and concern in her eyes. Rolling his own, Erik went to step around her, but she moved with him, inviting him to try again with a raised eyebrow.

Knowing a trap when he saw one, Erik did his best to edge around it, “I’m serious, it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“You’re my friend, of course I’m worried!”

“Well, you don’t need to be.”

He tried to smile and dodge around her again, and while she didn’t block him, there was suddenly a hand on his elbow, Ellie leaning in for one last try, “Erik, please-“

Wrenching free, Erik spun unable to stop himself from snarling at her. “Just drop it!”

She pulled away like she’d been burned, neither of them moving as they stared each other down. Under the shock though, Ellie still had steel in her gaze, daring him to snap again. It was an all too familiar picture and for the first time since their first escape from Hendrik, it wasn’t Ellie glaring at him.

Unable to stand having her staring at him like that, Erik broke eye contact first, intending to look back as soon as he thought he could look without seeing Mia. It took longer than he thought, and before he could, Ellie was speaking again, voice barely above a whisper. “You’ve always been there for me, now let me be there for you.”

Eventually, Erik knew he’d have to tell her. Tell all of them in the end, even if the thought of doing that made his stomach churn and his knees knock. They’d never look at him the same way again, never trust him like they did now. How could they possibly trust him to watch Ellie’s back after what he’d done to his own sister? Just because he wouldn’t deliberately hurt her, who’s to say there wouldn’t be another accident, that he wouldn’t screw up again?

But if it meant rescuing Mia, he’d take it all and some more besides.

He nodded, and tried not to notice how Ellie’s shoulders dropped in relief, “I’ll tell you. But not right now.” Tomorrow was going to be probably the biggest day of her life, and Erik wasn’t going to cast a shadow over it. Not until they were back on the ground at least, and he could talk to her privately.

Obviously willing to take what she could get, Ellie still hesitated before pulling him into a hug. He returned it, glad of the chance to hide his face before she could test his resolve any further. “Can you at least tell me if I can help with whatever it is?”

“You can.” Erik said at once, not willing to think otherwise. “I don’t know how, but you can.” _You have to._

“Then we work it out together” Ellie swore. “Partners, remember?”

“Partners.” He whispered, knowing that she wouldn’t be saying that for much longer.

It was just one more day, he promised himself. One more day, and it’d all be over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if this seems off in any way. This week's been a bit of a tricky one, but it's all sorted now, and I was determined to get this out on time.
> 
> Next week comes the end of Act 1 and everyone's favourite part of the game! After that we'll be taking a short break so I can get a few stories ahead and remind myself of a few details :)


	25. At The World Tree's Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The biggest moment of Ellie's life has arrived. All she has to do is take the Sword of Light in hand and then it's time to find Mordegon and stop his plans for Erdrea. 
> 
> Of course just like everything else, it doesn't go to plan.

The Heart of Yggdrasil was nothing like what Ellie had expected. For one, like Jade had said, it was bigger than she’d thought it would be, and for another, it seemed too…delicate to be something so important to the world. A mess of vines and leaves surrounding an orb of magical energy that would be all too easy to cut through if the wrong person found their way here. She didn’t want to think about what they would do with the Sword of Light, but she was willing to bet it would be nothing good.

“Ow!”

Then it gave Sylvando an almighty shock just for trying to touch it, and Ellie realised that the source of all life could look after itself quite well.

It certainly made her think twice about doing the same thing, but at Rab’s gentle urging she approached, prepared to jump back if she needed to. She reached with her hand, bracing for the shock, before thinking better, and using her left hand instead. The glow of her birthmark was nothing compared to the shine coming from the Heart, but Ellie still felt something shift.

The vines around the Heart twitched before drawing away entirely, leaving the golden energy inside free to reach for her, wrapping her in its warmth. It felt different than any other embrace she’d ever been in, and yet it didn’t try to outshine them. Instead it seemed to draw every good memory she had to the fore, and seemed to share her joy for each and every one. When it did intrude on a dark spot, it didn’t push or move on. Instead it took the time to soothe, to take the edge off any pain that lingered.

Ellie took a second just to bask in it, just a second, she promised herself and then she’d take the sword. Just a second…that she didn’t have.

Something slammed into her back, with enough force that her knees gave, sending her to the floor. Whatever it was began sinking, through her coat, through her shirt and her skin. It gripped onto everything it could, burning colder than anything she had ever felt. She heard Erik yelling, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. The voice that answered though, she knew that one very well.

“Find you? Did you witless vermin not realise?”

She didn’t understand what Jasper was doing there, but then he said that he’d been following them, and the pieces fell into place. This was where Jasper had come after releasing Krystalinda, it had been him that Erik had heard last night, creeping around the forest to see if they’d climbed to Yggdrasil yet…Another blast of magic shot through her entire body, cutting off her thought process.

_Then stop thinking and get up! Get up or he’ll kill your friends and finish you off!_

With Serena’s help, Ellie struggled to her feet, throwing a helpless look at the Sword of Light before drawing her own sword and charging forwards. As long as it was in there, Jasper couldn’t get his hands on it and the Heart would be safe. All they had to do was push Jasper back, and then everything could go back to how it should be.

All they had to do was win, just like they had before.

Only things were different this time.

He toyed with them, letting them try everything they could think off, all while he stood behind his shield. Nothing they tried could get through, be it magic or weapon, attack or dispel attempt. Yet Ellie didn’t dare stop, certain that there had to be some way past the shield, or to distract him long enough for them to knock that orb out of his hands.

Before they could though, Jasper finally got bored of playing around. He held the orb up, letting them see how the energy inside was twisting and changing, before with an ear-splitting whine, it exploded outwards. Sylvando shouted a warning, but Ellie had jumped, trying to get a better angle on the shield, and the blast sent her flying back.

She landed hard and rolled until she was to the side of the Heart. The others were luckier from what she could tell, having been pushed back, but not as far as she was. Not that it made much difference.

Jasper strode through her friends’ groaning bodies like they weren’t even there. Not even worth the effort of acknowledging, and for once Ellie was glad of it. It meant he had no further plans to hurt them, even if she wasn’t sure how long that would last.

She wasn’t so lucky.

At first, he went past her too, standing where she had been just minutes before, staring into the depths of the magic. “So this is the Heart of Yggdrasil? Whosoever controls it, controls the world, or so they say...” He must’ve reached out for it then, releasing little more than a strained chuckle when it shocked him like it had Sylvando. “Ah of course, it won’t open without the right key. How fortunate then, that I have it right here.”

It took Ellie a split second to long to realise what he meant, but before she could even think about getting away, Jasper was at her side. One of his hands tangled itself in her hair, wrenching her up so suddenly that she felt some of it ripping from her scalp, making her yell out in pain.

Once her feet were under her, he released his grip, replacing it with an arm that he locked tightly around her throat, holding her close to him. His other hand wrapped around her left wrist. It left Ellie with no obstacle to stop her right hand from trying to claw at the arm around his neck, but with Jasper so well armoured she might’ve well been trying to scratch a golem.

In that strange embrace, Ellie was pulled along, feet trying and failing to find some purchase on the ground so she could struggle, until she was once again stood before the Heart. The Sword of Light was still spinning lazily, completely unaware of the happenings outside its cradle.

“Now, Luminary,” Jasper’s mouth was right next to her ear, his voice barely above a whisper, “Open it.”

Ellie’s hand was already glowing, just waiting for her to hold it out to the Heart and claim the sword, but she forced it down. With a low growl, Jasper yanked it upwards, tightening his grip when she still refused. “Open it!”

“No!”

Behind her, she could hear her friends slowly recovering, taking turns to yell at Jasper, but they were all too weak to stand, let alone fight him. Even Ellie felt what little energy she’d gotten back fade into nothing, dark shapes forming in her eyes when Jasper tensed his grip.

The arms holding her began glowing that sickly shade of purple, all the warning Ellie got before her arm and neck exploded with pain. It felt so much worse than that first blast had, so much angrier and less restrained, and all Ellie could do was thrash around, finally losing the battle not to scream with a horrid strangled sound.

Jasper held the magic for a few seconds longer before releasing the spell, his grip all that kept Ellie on her feet, no matter how much she just wanted to curl up on the ground again. She heard her friends screaming for her, Jasper ignoring all their threats and insults, and wished beyond anything that there was something she could do.

His mouth returned to her ear with a mocking noise of sympathy, and she didn’t bother hiding the tears in her eyes, letting them fall where he could see them. “I know it hurts, but you can understand that I have to do this. I can’t just let you claim that sword when it doesn’t really belong to you.”

He eased his hold on her throat, just in time for a sob to push its way out, “Poor little Luminary. You know you were never supposed to win, don’t you? Even Erdwin fell to the power of the Lord of Shadows.” Ellie tried to shake her head, and protest, but Jasper simply laughed, “Oh yes, it’s true. But it doesn’t make for a very good story, and the sheep do like their stories. But the Luminary of legend did fall, and now everyone expects you to take up his sword and beat the darkness back…when you were really destined to fail the entire time.”

“He’s lying!”

“Don’t listen to him!”

“Just keep fighting, Ellie. He can’t get the sword unless you help him, and he can’t do that if you’re dead!”

“Silence!” Jasper ordered, firing another wave of magic that knocked them to the ground again, but he was too late. Veronica’s words had found their mark and this time when he forced her hand up, all but slamming it against the shield that protected the Heart, Ellie grit her teeth and forced the light down again.

Even if Jasper was telling the truth and Erdwin had fallen, Ellie had already promised that she would be more than just his replacement. Just because they had both been chosen by Yggdrasil, that didn’t mean their leaves were the same. His successes and failings were not hers, just like hers weren’t his, and she refused for them to start sharing now.

Feeling her renewed defiance, Jasper sent another wave of magic into her, only this time she was ready. It was even stronger than before, and more tears sprang to her eyes, but Ellie held them firm, almost biting through her lip with the effort not to make a sound. “Open it, girl!”

“N-Never!”

“Open it, or the next spell gets aimed at one of your pathetic little frien- “

“Jasper!” The voice came from behind them as all the others had, but the identity of the speaker was enough to make Jasper turn, pulling Ellie along with him. Her mind whirred as much as it could with the fresh pressure on her throat, stunned to see not only Hendrik in the doorway to the Heart, but King Carnelian too, dressed for the road.

For a few seconds everyone was too stunned by the new arrivals to speak. Then the King stepped forwards, raking his eyes over the scene, from her friends on the floor to the arm around her neck and the Heart illuminating it all. “I see we arrived just in time.”

“It is as I warned sire, Jasper has been almost completely taken by the darkness. How long he has deceived us I do not know, but deceive us he has! Jasper is a traitor to Heliodor—and to the world!” Hendrik stepped forwards, raising his sword in preparation to strike. “Release the Luminary, Jasper and prepare to face your punishment!”

Jasper gave a soft scoff, but did remove his arm from around Ellie’s throat, following the move with a hard push to one side that sent her sprawling before he stepped forwards. She forced herself up onto her knees, rubbing her neck and sucking in as much air as she could get, before she lost it all to several hacking coughs. She’d never take being able to breathe clearly for granted again.

With her focusing on breathing, Ellie almost missed what happened next, raising her eyes just in time to see Hendrik locked into place, right as he was about to bring his blade down on Jasper’s head. He had given a roar of pain, but Ellie couldn’t see where Jasper’s magic had hit him…

Until he fell forwards, and she saw it burning into his back. It didn’t make sense until she saw Carnelian lowering his hand, and she realised what had happened, and why Jasper had been so unconcerned.

_He was right._

“You have served me well, Hendrik.”

“Y-Your Majesty…What is the…meaning of this?”

_You were never supposed to win._

The King stepped around Hendrik, not showing his loyal knight even a glimmer of attention. He barely made it three steps before he seemed to seize up, twitching inhumanly before with a large gasp, a mass of smoke evacuated his body. The King fell to the floor, a puppet with the strings cut, and that, Ellie realised with a sinking feeling, was exactly what he’d been up until now.

The darkness hovered briefly before collecting to form the vague outline of a robed figure with horns and a long staff. It was still forming as he continued forwards, only just completing itself when he stood before Jasper, his face contorting into a mockery of a smile that he turned on Ellie. She did her best to meet his eyes, and was surprised when he simply laughed. “My dear Jasper. It seems you have snared us a Luminary. Very impressive.”

Jasper dropped into a bow; the sincerest Ellie had ever seen him act. “It is an honour to serve you as always…Lord Mordegon.”

Turning his attention from his servant, Mordegon tilted his head at Ellie, still wearing that little smile, “Now Luminary- you are in my power. And soon, your power will belong to me. It is your choice as to how painful that is.” He outstretched a clawed hand to her. Ellie stared at it, at the man who had destroyed her home twice over and ruined the lives of almost everyone around him, and wondered if he was being serious.

_Just take his hand._ That little voice whispered. _You can do more damage next to him than you can by fighting him now. You need to be smarter than Erdwin was, remember?_

_Maybe._ It was her own voice again, only this time it sounded…it sounded so much stronger than the other one. _But I’d still be playing his game. I’d still be the Darkspawn._

_So what? Who’s going to judge you when you save them all? When you succeed where their precious Erdwin failed? Who would dare?_

_I would._

“I’m waiting, Luminary.”

The voices falling silent, Ellie took a deep breath, before pushing herself as high as she could force herself to go. Mordegon’s smirk grew, hand stretching closer as if offering to help. Behind him, her friends all wore expressions of confusion, wondering what she was doing. Even Jasper wore a slightly curious look.

It made slapping his hand away all the more satisfying, rivalled only by her hiss, “I’ll never help you.”

Mordegon merely looked at his hand before laughing again, “Ah, so much like Erdwin, I had wondered.” He held the staff out to her, and as the gem glowed, Ellie braced for the pain, only to feel herself rise into the air. “No matter”

“W-What are you doing! Put me down!” She tried to dig her feet in, but they rose just as lazily as the rest of her did, until she was at eye level with the demon. There she paused, Mordegon tilting his head.

“I’ll ask again, Luminary. Will you give your power willingly, or will you continue to struggle against the inevitable?”

Ellie continued her struggle against the spell, pausing only to spit at his feet. “Like hell am I giving you anything!”

“Oh, but I think you will.” Mordegon stepped closer to her, stretching his hand out again, this time with shadows wrapped around his fingers. He waited, as if giving her a chance to reconsider, before he suddenly thrust his arm forwards, burying the hand into her chest. With nowhere else to go, the magic blasted through her back, but Ellie barely noticed that over the fingers closing around her heart. It felt wrong in a way that was impossible to explain, an intrusion beyond anything she could think off, and before he began pulling, Mordegon took a second to relish her expression. Only then did he starting squeezing, as if by doing it hard enough, he’d force Yggdrasil to open.

She kicked. She screamed. She clawed at his wrist.

And it did nothing.

Her kicks met empty air; her throat just closed up again, and when she looked, praying that her nails were doing some damage, it was to see Mordegon slowly pulling his wrist free…and the last edges of her birthmark burning into nothing. “No!”

When he released her from the spell, there was a shining orb in his hands, but it was the Mark of Light slowly forming onto the back that Ellie couldn't look away from, nor the larger Mark that erupted from the orb. “So…this is the power of the Luminary…The key that unlocks Yggdrasil’s heart.”

Mordegon spared no glance for Ellie, back on the ground with a thud and clutching her heart, gasping with unspeakable pain. Instead he simply held his hand towards Yggdrasil, letting the vines fall away as easily as they had for Ellie. He vanished into the warm light that had been so welcoming to her, while she could only squeeze her eyes closed, trying to think of some way, any way that they could salvage this.

_Look at what you’ve done. Look at it!_

She managed to pull her eyes back up, in time to watch Mordegon rising from the Heart with the Sword of Light in his hand. With one touch of his hand, the blade was sheathed in shadows that twisted and travelled along its length, leaving no trace of it uncorrupted.

Everything else seemed to vanish at the sight, even the pain in her chest. She knew that there were arms around her, and that Serena was saying something because she could see that’s what was happening. But all noise, all feeling was fading away, leaving nothing but the weak thump of her heart behind.

_This is all your fault._

She didn’t hear Veronica’s yell of alarm, or see Mordegon bring the warped sword down onto the Heart. Instead she felt like she was floating far away from it all, with only one last little whisper to weigh her down. But even that could only stall the inevitable, and so, rather than argue against it, Ellie allowed it to echo around her head, clinging to this last thought, this last proof that it wasn’t over yet, even when her eyes closed again, and the whispering stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, we're heading into Act 2 now, but before we do, I actually have to write the thing! Don't worry though, for maybe the first time in my life I have a plan, so see you not next week, but the week after :)


	26. Luminary Adrift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spread far and thin across Erdrea, the Luminary's companions strive to keep the light alive, with no idea if they'll see each other again. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Ellie attempts to heal from Mordegon's attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So those two weeks I took to get ahead with chapters? All spent went on this chapter and preparing my other big fic for completion. Did I plan it that way? Absolutely not.
> 
> Here's hoping it was worth it :)

With the help of her pearl and the Seer’s abilities, finding the Luminary as she sank below the waves was an easy task. It was getting her back to Nautica that was the hard part. Though he had yet to assert his new found power within her kingdom, Queen Marina had no doubt he soon would, and so her guards were forced to creep through their own territory, taking cover whenever a monster drew too close, out of fear that one would sell the information to their master.

But they succeeded, and soon the Luminary was hidden within Nautica. The best physicians in the kingdom were summoned to her chamber, while the best spellcasters order to help her reinforce the protections surrounding their city. As she worked, she pushed the images of the broken girl from her mind, refusing to think about the damage that would need to be repaired before they could even think of fighting back.

The barrier she raised would keep Mordegon’s forces from immediately enslaving her people, but Queen Marina did not allow herself to relax yet. She knew little of Mordegon’s abilities, and the Seer had left to attend to another matter on the land, giving few details, only that it would assist the Luminary when she woke. But should Mordegon possess his own scrying artifact, and use it to spy on her defences, then their efforts would’ve been for naught.

It was with that in mind that Queen Marina wove her spell, smiled at the result, and prayed the Luminary would live to see it.

* * *

Though he didn’t doubt they could probably go for a few hours yet, Sylvando was too wary of the nearby monsters to risk night falling before they had reached Gallopolis. They were stronger than he remembered them being on their first trip through the Laguna, despite their greater numbers, so as soon as the Goddess statue had appeared, Sylvando had called a halt for the night. Besides, it gave time for their newest recruit to get better acquainted with his new comrades and their mission.

While they excitedly chattered, Sylvando made another attempt to order his thoughts. Once they reached Gallopolis, they would need to do a quick examination to see how they could bring smiles back to the people. No doubt the circus would be a big help with that, and perhaps a few of the performers would be willing to help them out in their future endeavours. From there, they would move onto Hotto and meet up with Tetsu, then after that…

“You’re lookin’ better, Sylv.” Dave announced, taking a seat next to him. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Just thinking about our next moves, darling. Where do you think we should go after Hotto, hm?”

Seeming to give it a little thought, Dave finally shrugged, “ _Stallion’s_ seaworthy and loaded up with plenty of supplies. Could go anywhere, I suppose.”

“Then we’ll just go where the wind takes us.” It wouldn’t be so different from those first few days after Dundrasil had fallen, though it would probably be far harder, given the scope of this latest tragedy. But he’d done it once before, and as Sylvando saw it, every smiling face they left behind them was a blow against Mordegon’s reign of terror, however small.

And if this mission put them in a better position to track down the others, or leave some kid of trail for them to follow? Well, nobody could blame Sylvando for multitasking, could they?

Looking around at the four around the fire, the Beastly Boys regaling the priest with stories of their reign of terror over Gondolia (and hastily making sure he knew that that was all behind them and that they wanted to make amends when one of them caught Sylvando’s raised eyebrow), Sylvando knew that this was the best way forwards.

It didn’t stop him rising from his bed while the others snoozed, going to the edge of the campsite with his sword, and sparring with every shadow that tried creeping near. He moved through every form his _papi_ had ever shown him, and a few he’d picked up from his travels, knowing that in this new, harsher Erdrea it would take all of his skills to survive, not just the ones he enjoyed using.

The monsters from earlier had caught them all off guard, their enhanced strength a strong warning for what was waiting further down the line, and Sylvando refused to give them the satisfaction of taking anyone else while he was in a position to stop it.

When he had gone through every move, he went through them again, burning them into his muscle memory. Here, he found it helped to pretend he was teaching Ellie or Erik the new manoeuvre, thinking of the little flairs they would add, or the tricks they use to try and get past him. After a while he added Jade and her spear in, thinking of the extra difficulties of fighting someone with a longer reach, but also the little things you could exploit in that.

When even that ran its course, he simply pretended they were all coming at him at once, dancing from point to point to avoid imaginary spells, ducking slashes that weren’t there, until with a last kick meant to hit his foe in the stomach, Sylvando finally brought his sword down, breathing long and hard.

Only then did he feel around for the item that had been weighing his pocket down all day, pulling the horse hailer out and simply staring at it as it lay in his palm.

From the moment he’d given it to her, Ellie had only let it out of her sight once, and that had been to loan it to him while they’d been in Arboria. He’d joined in with the bad that had been playing, getting the hang of their musical style after a song or two, and then forgotten to hand it back before they’d gone up to Yggdrasil.

Sylvando hoped she wasn’t missing it, wherever she was, but he wouldn’t know until they found each other again. Which would happen, no matter how far they’d all been flung from each other, or how far he had to go to make it so.

He wouldn’t accept any other possibility.

* * *

When they’d stopped for lunch in the First Forest, they’d all talked about what they’d do when Mordegon was defeated, and they had the rest of their lives to live. Jade’s answer had been simple, she would go home to her father and people, and retake her place and resume her duties. Then, when Erik had made a joke about how dutiful she was, she’d admitted that she wouldn’t mind going back to Octogonia at some point, and making another try for the MMA championship.

Well, Mordegon hadn’t been defeated, and going back to Heliodor wasn’t an option unless she somehow grew wings to fly over the ocean with, but she had managed to make it to Octogonia.

It might’ve been a nicer thought if she hadn’t managed to get the attention of the city’s new ruler, a monster named Booga less than an hour after arriving. The foul beast had not only taken half the city’s fighters captive, but when she’d tried to do something about it, he’d issued her with a sickening deal that he’d gone back on the second she’d accepted his terms.

The trouble hadn’t stopped there either. Jade had tried to save one of his captives from getting sucked into a portal that led to who knew where, gotten sucked in herself, and now she was stuck in some sort of hellish arena, all while wearing the disgusting outfit Booga had presented it with, which would be getting introduced to the nearest bonfire as soon as she managed to get it off.

Things had picked up slightly when she’d managed to find the captured fighters, and they’d explained the rules of this ‘Limboo’ place. As Jade understood it, all that was keeping them there was another monster called Boodica, Booga’s second in command and (if the creatures guarding the cells were to be believed) girlfriend. If they could defeat her, then there should be nothing else that would stop them from leaving this place.

But the mere suggestion had been shot down. They’d all been down there too long, getting beaten up each day by a rotating array of monsters simply because they’d stood up to Booga when he’d first taken over Octogonia. Golden Boy and Vince had stayed quiet, but the Underdigger and Sinderella had more than made up for their silence, with Sinderella even placing the blame at Ellie’s feet for ‘letting’ Mordegon win, extending it to Jade as well in Ellie’s absence.

Only the fact that it was obvious the other fighter was just lashing out stopped Jade from saying something. In her situation, Jade might’ve done the same. But there was little she could do to rally them all, or even give them a reason not to give in completely, except offer herself up when one of the guards came in to let Golden Boy know it was his turn in the arena.

It was a risky move, but Jade hadn’t been sure if Golden Boy would even survive another round in the arena, and she hadn’t come here to watch people die when she could do something about it. And with any luck, she’d be able to keep an eye out for any chance to face Boodica, and show the others that things weren’t hopeless if you didn’t let them be.

Before the guard could even respond to her offer, the dungeon was filled with a high pitched squawking from above, which after a second or two, Jade realised was actually laughter. “Oh what _fun!_ I do so love them when they’re new enough to still have some fire in their bellies!”

“Lady Boodica?” The monster growled fearfully.

“I bet you thought I didn’t notice you up there, hmm? Making eyes at my Booga-Wooga? Well I _did_!” Jade had almost threw up in her mouth at the thought of doing anything like that, but Boodica it seemed either didn’t notice, or didn’t care. “Luckily for you, we have an extra special punishment for little madams who don’t know their place! It’s called the Girly Burly!”

“You’ve really gone an’ done it now.” The Underdigger chuckled, more tired than mirthful, “So long, kiddo. It was nice knowin’ ya.”

Jade pushed down her first instinct to snap at him. Somewhere out there her friends were fighting just as hard as she was, if not harder. She owed it to them to get out of here, and she owed it to the people of Octogonia to end Booga and Boodica’s lovesick tyranny. Now that she had the chance, she wasn’t going to waste it, nor alienate any allies that they’d need further down the line.

“Don’t be so sure.” She said instead, looking at them all over her shoulder. “You may have given up hope, but I’m not about to.” Ignoring their shocked expressions, Jade gestured for the guard to lead the way.

They hadn’t gone far when she heard the others following. Yes, their footsteps were slow and hesitant, but nobody was forcing them along, and regardless of Sinderella’s earlier words, she didn’t think they were that eager to see her beaten into the same state as them. It wasn’t much, and she was aware her gambit was just as likely to fail as it was to succeed, but Jade was willing to take that chance.

After all, how could she expect them to put their faith in her, if she wasn’t willing to return the favour?

Blanket on, blanket off. Cold side of the pillow, warm side of the pillow. Back, side, belly. No matter what she did, Ellie couldn’t sleep. Everything that had happened that day wouldn’t stop repeating in her mind, and every time it did, her head throbbed with pain. Finally she sat up, and seeing the soft glow coming from the kitchen, kicked the blanket off for the third time, and swung her feet to the floor.

Mum was sat by the fire, head bent over her mending, but rising when she heard Ellie coming. One look at Ellie’s face, and the sewing was set to one side, leaving her lap free. After a few seconds of wriggling to find the comfiest position for both of them, Mum got right to the point, “Still upset about your fight with Gemma, eh?”

Ellie nodded, and repeated the same thing she’d been saying since it had happened, “She started it. All I did was draw eyebrows on Sandy!” At the time she’d thought it was a great trick to play, but now, when her seat started shaking with her mum’s laughter, Ellie just glared, “It’s not funny! I’ve still got a lump, see?”

“I see it.” Mum’s voice lost its humour, “And I saw the one on her head too. How did she get that, I wonder?”

Ellie didn’t answer, staring at her legs instead. She hadn’t meant to hurt Gemma, but she’d just been so mad, and before she knew what was happening, Gemma was wailing with pain, then both their mums had come running. Ellie hadn’t been allowed out all day after that.

She heard her mum sigh, and then there were fingers under her chin, tilting her head upwards until they were looking at each other again, “Now you listen to me girl.” Knowing that tone, Ellie gave a weak nod to show she was listening, and Mum carried on, “There’ll be plenty of times in your life when people upset you and you feel like lashing out. But no matter how much it hurts or how much you want to hurt them back, you don’t go looking for revenge, understand? Instead, you do what’s right, whether that’s walking away, or just ignoring them.”

Taking the words to heart, Ellie dropped her eyes again, scared of the answer to her next question. “Mum…do you think Gemma still wants to be friends?”

“Oh of course she will. I’ll bet she’s feeling the same as you are, and having this conversation with her mum too.”

“What should I do?”

“Talk to her, you big silly! Ask her what she was feeling, and why she did what she did. If you can see things from her point of view, the rest should be easy, and then…” Mum took Ellie’s right hand in hers, “You just smile and take her hand.”

“Smile and take her hand.” Ellie echoed, looking at their entwined fingers. It sounded so easy.

“That’s right. Now, do you think you’ll be able to go back to bed?” Giving it some thought, Ellie shook her head, thinking it might take some time for her thoughts to stop whirring. “Alright then, but no complaining when you’re tired tomorrow.”

Fetching her sewing again, Mum went back to work, barely seeming to notice Ellie’s weight or her eyes watching the needle going back and forth through the fabric, mending the rip in her dress. No problem at all, just like Mum had said.

When Mum had finished the dress and two pairs of socks, she repeated her question, and this time, Ellie gave a slow nod, clambering down and letting Mum lead her back to bed. “Night-night, Mum.”

“Night-night dearie. Don’t you worry about a thing, it’ll all be alright in the morning.” Letting her mum tuck her in under the blanket, and plump the pillow just right, humming all the while, Ellie slowly let her eyes drift closed, knowing that things would be back to normal soon, better even.

_Don’t lie to yourself. You can’t fix things this time._

* * *

Once he was out of his cell, and able to think beyond the admittedly pressing goal of getting as far as humanly possible from this place, Erik had come to the conclusion that this was probably someone’s idea of a joke, and knowing next to nothing about Mordegon himself, decided that Jasper was probably behind his latest stint behind bars. It was the kind of thing that the knight had probably found clever, maybe even ironic.

Not that it really mattered whose fault it was that he was conducting his second jailbreak of the year, but having someone to blame always made a situation a little better, Erik had found. Besides, there was no sign that any of the others were here, and in this particular situation, anger was more helpful than worry.

Not that he had much time to dwell on either of those things, with Healijah keeping up a stream of steady, if strange chatter. It seemed that just like before he’d managed to pick up a breakout buddy who was more than they first appeared, but as long as the cureslime kept pulling his weight, Erik wasn’t about to waste time trying to decipher every single hint thrown his way.

(Even if it had been a little hard not to demand answers the second Healijah had brought Mia into the conversation.)

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Erik noticed that the floating disc had brought them to a section of the caves that seemed wilder than the rest, with the ruins here covered in moss and other plants. The sight was briefly promising, but when Erik followed the tunnels round, it only brought them out into the hall they’d passed through earlier. Then, it had been ‘oozing’ as Healijah now remembered with monsters big and small, though most were conspicuously absent now.

Erik wasn’t sure he wanted to know why that was, but before he could bring it up, Healijah had already crossed the room to the large opening, “It looks like we can goo this way. Come on, no slime to lose!”

“Just slow down a second! We need to take this easy!” Healijah seemed to consider that for about a second, before drifting through there anyway, leaving Erik to sprint after him, spitting out curses. It was all very good rushing around, but he’d be no use to the others if he got himself killed. Of course, he’d be no use anyway, if he didn’t get out of here, which was why his face broke out into a grin when he saw the sunlight up ahead…

Only to quickly fall when he saw that while there was plenty of sky to be seen, there was very little ground other than the piece he was standing on. “We were up in the sky the whole time?” He stared at the clouds in horror, “So how do we get down? Something tells me this isn’t a jump we’re going to survive…”

This was definitely Jasper’s idea. Egotistical little…

Things weren’t much improved by Healijah’s suggestion that they follow the path round to the top. That was less because of the suggestion though, and more because as soon as the slime said it, they were both sent flying backwards when the biggest blade Erik had ever seen was suddenly flung at the ground in front of them, its owner close behind.

“Kneel before Indignus, mortal! Spectral Sentinel and servant of the Lord of Shadows!” The giant thundered, yanking his double ended weapon into his grasp, “It is I who imprisoned you, intending to offer you up to my master. But I see that you have other ideas.”

“Can’t I have anything today?” Erik groaned, pushing back onto his feet. A little further away, Healijah was out cold, completely with a goofy expression (pun only slightly intended).

Indignus ignored him in favour of continuing his monologue, “You have done well to make it this far. Quite a feat for a mere human. But you will go no further!”

From anyone else, the words would’ve just been standard villain material, and Erik had heard enough of that spiel for a lifetime. However, he had to admit that the literal army of monsters Indignus summoned to his side added a certain something to the proceedings, namely the complete and utter destruction of Erik’s chances of escape.

The monsters quickly surrounded him, leaving no gaps for him to wriggle through, and keeping the circle too wide for him to try jumping over. It didn’t stop him from spinning round, trying to spot any weak link to exploit, and finding none, Erik finally started to panic, “Damn it, there has to be some way…”

“There is.”

“Healijah, is that you?” A skeletal dragon tried taking advantage of his distracted state, but Erik quickly snapped back in time to hack him in two, even as he looked out for the little slime, “Where are you?”

“It is me…But also…not me…You have known me for longer than you think…” Erik ducked another monster, while Healijah carried on, mouthing along as the words became more familiar, “One day you shall meet the Luminary somewhere deep underground, and if you help them, you shall be forgiven.”

“You’re the Seer.” Erik gasped, using his next breath to roll away from a flame spell that still came too close for comfort.

“I can lend you the power to escape your predicament…A great power…But a power you may use just this once. And in return, I will have to take from you that which you treasure most. So tell me…what might that be?”

The monsters had stopped throwing attacks, if only to see what he was up to, but Erik barely noticed. At first, the answer was obvious, but as Mia’s face came into mind, Erik wondered how the Seer could take her even further away. Except then, he thought of the others, of Veronica sticking her tongue out, Jade kicking his butt round the arena, and Sylvando showing off. Serena was quick to join them, playing her harp while Rab hid his magazines and Ellie sat at her forge, the images melding together until the Seer realised the answer that he was scared to give.

“Of course…Your memories of your brothers and sisters in arms…Precious treasures indeed…But I will have to strip you of them…There is no other way…”

It was a big ask, and Erik wasn’t afraid to admit to hesitating. What good was getting out of here if he didn’t know what it was for in the first place? How would he find the others, or help Mia? No, there had to be something else…

And yet, he knew there wasn’t. His memories of Mia were all he’d had to hold onto, before the Seer had arrived with that promise of destiny, and Ellie was thrown into a cell opposite. And all through the journey, when things looked bleakest, Erik would just think of his latest bickering match with Veronica while Rab kept score, or of Serena teaming up with Jade to try and counteract his cheating at cards _,_ or Sylvando teaching him a few fancy knife moves, or of Ellie smiling up on that cliff in Heliodor.

No treasure was worth more than that.

With one last apology to Ellie, and the others, wherever they were, and to Mia in that cave, Erik made his choice. “Do it.”

* * *

The plan was to take a picnic to Cobblestone Falls, something that they’d done many times before, but only ever with an adult to keep an eye on them. Today though, thanks to a mixture of doing extra chores for a week, and many promises to come straight back if they saw any monsters, Ellie and Gemma set out alone, carrying the basket and jug of juice respectively.

If they did see any monsters though, Ellie was pretty sure she’d be able to deal with them. Grandad kept saying that it wouldn’t be long before she could start training on the weaker creatures that occasionally crept close to the village gates, which really meant she was strong enough, he just had to convince her mum first. With that in mind, she’d brought her sword along, even if it kept knocking against her leg as they walked.

Having just left the village, and thinking of the sandwiches in the basket, both girls were instantly on guard when they heard high pitched laughter nearby. When it was followed by a pained yip, they didn’t even look at each other before setting their things down and inching forwards, taking cover behind a nearby rock. Once she was sure they hadn’t been noticed, Ellie slowly took a peek around the side, gasping when she saw what was causing the noise.

A pair of needlers had somehow managed to capture a puppy, and were taking turns to prick the poor thing, practically unstitching with how hard they were laughing. Dropping back behind cover with a scowl, Ellie reported her findings to Gemma while searching the ground. When she found what she was looking for, she scooped the stones up, passing both along.

“When I say, throw them.” Ellie ordered, moving to get into position. At Gemma’s nod, she started creeping around the rock, before jumping out into the open, waving her arms in the air, “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Heart in her mouth, Ellie watched them chatter at each other before both of them started running at her instead. When the needlers were far enough away from the puppy that it wasn’t likely to get hurt more, Ellie brought her sword up, “Now!”

Gemma’s first throw missed, but the second clocked the front needler right in the head. It was startled into dropping its weapon, and when a third stone flew too close, it chose to speed off rather than take its chances. Its partner wasn’t so easily scared though. If anything it seemed angrier, picking up the pace as it approached Ellie, needle held ready to stab.

Looking between it and her own sword, Ellie closed the gap between them, snatching up the abandoned needle and holding it up ready. Her opponent seemed to think about what to do, before lunging at her. Just like her grandad had shown her, she quickly brought the needle up to block the swing, breathing in relief when it worked. The needle, while a different shape to her sword, was about the same weight, making it easy to follow her muscle memory, and jab the needler in the tummy. It wasn’t hard enough to do too much damage, but the plush monster still squealed, and before she could any more damage, it followed its friend’s example and ran for the hills.

Letting it go, Ellie called Gemma, and crouched down by the puppy. Its sandy fur was specked with blood from the multiple prick wounds along its body, though with the help of Gemma’s headscarf, they were able to wrap most of them, and the puppy happily licked both their faces when they were finished. Giggling to each other, the pair collected their lunch, and checking to see if the puppy would follow them home, walked back to Cobblestone.

When regaling the tale later, Ellie would squirm in her seat, trying not to blush at Gemma’s declaration that she was a hero, failing much to everyone’s (even the newly dubbed Sandy) amusement.

_Would she still say that now?_

* * *

Before he even set his hands on the door, Rab took a long deep breath. He had a feeling he knew what lay beyond, and while part of him knew he had brought it on himself, since it was his memories that formed this place…he wasn’t sure if he could go through that again. Not so soon after getting to hold his baby granddaughter once more, and seeing her parents happy and whole, completely unaware of what was coming for them.

And yet, if he wanted to find out the truth of this impossible world, he had no choice. He had to go forwards.

Closing his eyes, in the vaguest hope of sparing himself for just a second longer, Rab planted both hands on the doors and flung them open, stepping through, and only opening his eyes when the silence refused to break.

Almost at once he knew that he’d been wrong.

The hall was decorated just as gloriously as it had been that night, the tables groaning with the finest food the kitchens could create, but there was nobody around to enjoy it. And if that wasn’t enough proof, there was the matter of the cake in the very centre of the room, a many tiered spectacle that while glorious to look at, had no place in Rab’s memories no matter how hard he wracked his brain.

He took a few more steps forwards, still staring at the cake, freezing at the sound of muffled giggles. So, there was someone here. Someone trying very hard not to be found. Someone…who hadn’t quite folded themselves under the cake table properly, leaving one small shoe poking out from under the cloth.

Lips twitching in spite of himself, Rab took a quick look around the rest of the room, seeing more shoes sticking out from under the curtains, and quick flashes of faces that shot back behind the table as soon as they saw him looking.

The tablecloth was lifted up slightly, but before Rab could see who was under there, she came tumbling out onto the floor in a pile of green silk and lace, still giggling like an imp. The little girl struggled to her feet, and when she had managed it, she threw her arms out, completely misreading the shock on Rab’s face. “Surprise! Happy Birthday Grampa!”

“It-It’s you!” Rab breathed, unable to do more than stare at his granddaughter. The other party guests (his party guests he supposed) began emerging from their hiding places, but Rab still couldn’t look away from Ellie’s face, taking in every detail of the girl she could’ve been, if not for Mordegon. “Oh lass, ye did all this for me?”

“Uh huh! Mum and Dad helped, but it was my idea!”

“It’s been all she’s been able to talk about for the past month.” King Irwin chuckled, completely oblivious to how Rab was staring at he and Eleanor as they came to stand behind Ellie, “Happy Birthday, Lord Robert.”

“Many happy returns, Father.” Eleanor leaned a little closer, dropping her voice to a whisper, “Eliza’s been hoping to show her grampa off to everyone. Don’t forget to take her round with you?”

“Wouldnae dream of it.” Indeed, shortly after admiring the cake sent from Gondolia, Ellie’s hand slipped into his, and together, the two of them made the rounds. Together they greeted their fellow royals and his subjects, Ellie taking an interest in each and every subject they spoke about. When they got to his mates from the pub though, Rab made sure to send Ellie off to get them both a slice of the cake, knowing that Eleanor would have his head if she found out that her daughter had been privy to one of their literature discussions.

She hadn’t returned by the time he’d moved onto the next person, but it didn’t matter. It left Rab free to simply take it all in.

He could’ve stayed there forever. He would’ve, if it had been possible. But like all good things, it couldn’t last forever, and when Ellie’s wailing split the hum of chatter, Rab turned to see what had happened…

And suddenly he was back at Yggdrasil’s Heart, seeing Ellie brought low by dark magic, and everything between then and now had come rushing back. Waking up with no sign of the others, travelling the nearly destroyed world to get to Angri-La in the hopes of training there, learning that Master Pang had died protecting the temple from Yggdrasil’s fall, and then undertaking the risky process to follow her into the void without giving in completely. Which could only mean…

“Grampa?” Ellie was back on her feet, tilting her head in confusion.

This was nothing more than an illusion meant to test him, and yet Rab still felt the familiar pain in his heart, knowing what he had to do to continue. He crouched down as much as his knees would allow, taking one final look at his granddaughter, “I’m sorry lass, there’s somewhere else I need to be.”

“You’re leaving? But the party isn’t over yet.”

“I know, and I hate to go, really I do…but maybe one day ye’ll understand.” He straightened up, wearing as steady a smile as he could manage, and glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, the bunny girl had made her reappearance, waiting for him just outside the hall. She seemed happy enough to wait, so he returned his attention to Ellie, raising an eyebrow, “You be good for yer parents now, aye?”

“Aye.” She made to run back to her parents, but stopped before she had taken three steps. The smile she threw over her shoulder was just slightly too knowing to be an accident, her voice just a little too steady, “Be careful, Grampa.”

Rab waited until she had distracted Eleanor and Irwin before slipping away, not sure what he would do if they too tried to stop him. She did her job well, and he was unobserved as he followed the bunny girl back into the atrium, preparing for whatever came next.

It still hurt, but Rab knew that whatever happened next, Ellie would be just fine.

* * *

“Ow! Grandad that hurt!” Ellie dropped her sword and held her sore hand close to her chest. A couple were bent at a funny angle and the rest were bright red. “I think they’re broken!”

“If they were, you’d be screaming louder than that.” Still, Grandad tucked his own wooden sword into his belt and gently pulled her hand away, inspecting the almost certainly broken fingers. “Can you try and move them for me?” Ellie did, hissing in pain before curling them back up. “No, no that’s not going to help.” He pressed a kiss to her hand before ruffling her hair, “Still, maybe we should stop for the day, hm? If your young bones need a break, then my old ones certainly do!”

Scowling and muttering that she was sure they were broken, or at the least very fractured, Ellie picked up her sword with her good hand, and hurried to follow Grandad as he took them back to Cobblestone.

Ever since that lady had come to talk to him, Grandad had been much stricter about their sword practise. Ellie didn’t mind really, since it was still fun, but she couldn’t understand what the lady had to do with it. All she knew was that her mum didn’t like talking about it, that something she’d said had made Grandad sad for the rest of the night, and that her Mum and Grandad had had _words_ outside when she was supposed to be sleeping.

Still, if more sword practise meant losing her fingers, Ellie wanted to know what was going on. “Grandad, why do I have to learn how to fight? Gemma doesn’t.” She thought about it for a second, “Is it because my stitches are always wonky?” Gemma’s stitches were always neat and pretty, and she mended things with her mother while Ellie practised with Grandad.

It made perfect sense to Ellie, so she couldn’t understand why Grandad laughed at her, pausing to breathe and sit down on a nearby bench. “Not everywhere in the world is as safe as Cobblestone, my girl. If you’re ever going to leave, it’s my duty to see you well prepared.”

“But…I don’t want ever want to leave.”

“And you won’t, if you don’t want to.” Grandad patted the bench next to him, and when Ellie had sat down, he put an arm around her and pulled her close. “But one day, you might want to explore and see what else the world has to offer. Go on all sorts of adventures, meet people from all over…There’s an entire world out there, just waiting to be discovered.”

Ellie wasn’t sure any of that was worth having very nearly broken fingers, but she didn’t say so. Instead she burrowed closer into her Grandad’s side, promising with all her heart that there was nothing that could ever stop her from staying in Cobblestone, nothing at all.

_If only you’d kept that promise. Things would be so much better._

* * *

As long as they were careful to keep rationing in place, and their near non-existent supply chain stayed closer to ‘near’ than ‘non’, they could continue to hold their position with minimal issue. But sooner or later, problems would arise, and it was all Hendrik could do to try and prepare the Last Bastion for when they did.

When he wasn’t out in the field, searching for any survivors that had managed to survive this long, he was busy taking any patrols they had yet to fill, and the whole time, he kept an ear open for any new information that would assist their near hopeless fight. Most of it involved how far the monsters had spread, or what new atrocity Mordegon’s generals had committed. Nothing on the one subject that he and King Carnelian hoped for.

As they had feared, it seemed the Luminary had fallen at Yggdrasil. In her absence, the people had latched onto Hendrik as some kind of saviour, though how they arrived at that conclusion, he didn’t know. He simply did his duty to the people and maintained the illusion of control, to avoid lowering morale any further, no small task, admittedly, but hardly the kind of miracle they needed.

But they persisted, and not long after it had started, he had been sought out by Mistress Amber. No doubt his men had enjoyed his panicked expression when they’d heard her calling out for him, then again when she’d asked if it would be possible to speak to him. Cowardly it may seem, but he’d been avoiding her as much as possible since they’d moved to the Bastion, fearful of what would happen once the shock passed, and she remembered that he’d spent the last year hunting her daughter across the world, eventually leading her murderer right to her.

Knowing that he would have to face the music sooner or later, Hendrik took her into the command tent, knowing full well that the cloth walls wouldn’t do anything to muffle her condemnation. But the illusion of privacy was there, and it was enough for Amber to start speaking about the last thing Hendrik had expected, “I know you don’t like that we all call you a hero.” He tried to protest, but it died when she raised an eyebrow, “Don’t try and deny it. Every time someone mentions it you look just like Ellie did when we found out she’s the Luminary.”

“And how does that look, dare I ask?”

Amber gave a warm, motherly smile, “Like you’re not sure how you’re supposed to respond.”

They held each other’s gaze until Hendrik finally sighed and rubbed his temple. The headache that had been threatening to appear for the past three days was finally making its grand entrance. “That’ll be because I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond.”

“Didn’t they call you the Hero of Heliodor before all this?”

He briefly wondered where she had heard that, before realising it had likely come up at some point around one of the many campfires. “Yes, a name I earned while under the command of a monster, whose orders I never once questioned, and when I did it was too late.” The headache gave an almighty throb, “Now, every day is a struggle to keep everyone alive, fed and healthy.”

He was aware that saying all this was hardly likely to bolster morale, but something told him that Amber wasn’t likely to spread it across the camp. Sure enough, when he was able to bring his hand down, the face opposite was one of sympathy, “And yet you keep going. Most people here owe you their very lives, and the few that haven’t need someone to believe in. They’ve chosen you.”

For all the good it did them anyway. “Forgive me, but why did you feel the need to bring this to my attention?”

“The camp just wanted to make sure you knew that, and they elected me to let you know.” She pretended to consider it, “Maybe help you stop looking like you’re about to run in the opposite direction whenever someone says ‘hero’.”

She rose to leave, and was at the flaps when he realised that if he didn’t say something now, he’d probably never get the courage to do so. “Mistress Amber, about your daughter…”

“If there was anything you could’ve done, I don’t doubt you would’ve done it. Nobody could’ve predicted what would happen up there, least of all you.” Her voice left no room for argument. Yet it came a little too easily, and Hendrik wondered how many times she’d had to tell herself that before she was able to believe it, because it hadn’t worked for him yet.

* * *

She was floating.

The last time she had felt like this she’d been in so much pain, but there was none of that now. There wasn’t anything really, just a strange numbness in her arms and legs, like they weren’t there at all. And she felt…smaller somehow, too different to ignore.

Something wasn’t right, and there was only one way to find out what. And so, for the first time in two months, Ellie opened her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my shop reopened on Monday, and I'm starting back tomorrow. I don't know how this will affect my updates, but rest assured I'll do my best to stay on track. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it (in between frequent bouts of asking what I've let myself in for anyway), and I hope you and yours the best of health :)


	27. On the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue John has a talk with the day's catch.

Now, Blue John knew that he had more chance of hooking bits of old rubbish than he did any fish. They just weren’t biting like they used to, and by now he was more than resigned to the fact that he’d probably be living off his bait before long. But when he managed to reel in a teenage girl instead of the whopper that had been feasting on his bait the past few days, even he had to admit things were getting bad.

After getting her name and her crying had died down a bit, he’d had rowed them back to the cabin, but once he’d shown her where the towels and woodpile were, he’d taken the boat out again. For one, he still hadn’t caught anything, and now there was another mouth to feed, but mainly it was to make Ellie feel a little more comfortable. Whatever had caused her to try stealing his bait right off the line, it likely wasn’t a happy story, and things weren’t going to be improved by him hanging around.

He stayed out as long as he dared to, managing to catch two decently sized fish in quick succession. They were pretty plump too, which answered the question as to where the rest of his lost bait had been going. Enough for a good meal now, and maybe breakfast tomorrow if he could find some salt in one of the cupboards.

While John moored up, he spotted Ellie hanging about the crates on the sand, staring at the ground. He couldn’t see what had caught her attention from here, but the time alone seemed to have done the trick. Now out of that old coat and into a dry blouse and skirt, she seemed to have a little colour in her cheeks, and it didn’t look like she was about to burst into tears again.

Calling her in before one of the beach monsters noticed her encroaching on their territory, John handed her a boning knife, outlining the plan he’d come up with in the boat as they worked. “The Last Bastion ain’t that far from here as long as you know the way. Head due west until you’re at Cobblestone Falls, then follow the mountain round. Last time I was there, they’d set up all these defences so you shouldn’t miss it.”

Ellie paused in her cutting, seeming to work something out before hesitantly asking, “Is it close to where Cobblestone Village used to be?”

“It’s on that spot, yeah. Familiar with the area, are you?” She nodded, but didn’t offer any further information, and John didn’t press, instead moving onto the Bastion itself. “There’s plenty of people there anyway, and the Hero’ll see you right.”

John briefly wondered if he should offer to take her part of the way, extra body to help with the monsters and all that. But Ellie finished her fish with a few neat little strokes, and while she cleaned her hands, John spotted a few tell-tale blisters and callouses on her palms. She knew how to use that sword of hers, and would move faster on her own.

Still wiping the cloth over her hands, Ellie chewed on her lip for a bit before speaking up, “You mentioned the Hero before. What’s he like?”

“Old Hendrik?” John pretended not to notice her freeze, “He’s the real thing, keeps hope alive even when there isn’t much cause for it. Like I said, he’ll find you a spot in the Bastion and keep you safe. Safer than you’d be out on your own, anyway.” Whatever her history with the Heliodorian law, John was pretty sure they wouldn’t turn her away, not when they always needed an extra hand on the defences.

Just to make sure she didn’t still risk it, John told her about what had happened to Heliodor, the story taking them through dinner, and through the task of making up an extra bed for the night. He’d thought to give her the short version, just to remind her what was out there, but when all he got was a blank look, he’d found himself going into much more detail, even while wondering just what kind of rock Ellie had been under for the last two months.

Actually asking was still very much out of the question, as he found out when he hinted about it. Ellie simply smiled as she sharpened her sword. “It’s a long story.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a quick one today guys. As a head's up I don't think updates will be as regular as I'd hoped, with all the hours I'm working. All I can advise is to keep an eye out for new chapters, while I'll do my best to find a halfway decent routine.


	28. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie arrives at the Last Bastion to find familiar faces, both welcoming and not.

Just like Blue John had promised, getting through the gates and into the Last Bastion was simple. The guard on duty hadn’t looked too closely at her face, just waved her through and directed her to the civilian section at the back. If she hurried, she’d have some time to get settled before dinner started, and from there it would just be a matter of finding her a job to do.

Not that Ellie intended to stay that long. She’d stay for as long as it took to figure out where she should start looking for her friends, and after that, well, there wasn’t much point in sticking around. The people here had Sir Hendrik to look after them. They didn’t need a washed up failure trying to help, only to make things worse than they’d been in the first place.

She was drawn out of her thoughts by barking, and she looked down to see the culprit staring back up at her. A golden, long haired dog stared up at her with sparkling eyes, tongue lolling with the effort of the run she’d obviously just undertaken. There was something familiar about her, from the long eyelashes to the feather duster tail.

If Ellie hadn’t known any better, she would’ve sworn it was Sandy herself.

As if to disprove that theory, the dog let out another bark, and after wagging her tail like crazy, she lunged upwards, planting both front paws on Ellie’s shoulders and letting loose a stream of excited woofs interspersed with attempts to cover her in drool.

Sensing a few people looking over, Ellie tried to push the dog back down, only for her to start licking at her gloved hands. Despite herself, Ellie couldn’t help laughing, especially when she tried reaching higher, tongue catching her face between jumps. It was only when she felt her hood slide down that she started struggling again, and by then, it was too late.

“Sandy, get down!” Stunned by the voice, Ellie’s footing briefly wavered, and that was all Sandy needed to push her right over, taking full advantage to cover Ellie in kisses. “Oh, I’m so sorry, she’s not usually- Sandy let her go now!”

“Gemma?!”

“Ellie?!” With one last burst of strength from the pair of them, Sandy was soon moved to one side, letting the girls stare at each other in shock.

Gemma looked…well she looked just like she had the day Ellie had left. A little dustier, maybe a little older in the eyes, but considering Ellie had never thought she’d see her again these were easy enough to overlook. She wondered if the same could be said of her, guessing that the answer would be a hard no.

Regardless, the second Ellie was back on her feet, she was nearly knocked back over by the force of Gemma’s hug, and the sheer relief that this was real, not just another strange dream. It was a thought that seemed to have occurred to Gemma too, the other girl pulling away slightly to double check that she wasn’t seeing things. “I can’t believe it! We all thought…well we heard such awful things…”

“That makes two of us!” Shaking her head, Ellie gently moved out of the embrace, taking another look around. Now that she looked, there were one or two familiar faces milling around, looking much the same as Gemma, but still undeniably alive. She looked back to her friend, “As soon as I got out of Heliodor I came back here to warn you, but the village was already destroyed and I couldn’t find any of you. I thought…” She trailed off, not wanting to give voice to that particular belief now that it had been proven false.

“It was a close call.” Gemma sighed, looking out over the camp. Here and there, you could still see the odd bit of wall or scorched grass, grim reminders that wouldn’t vanish any time soon. “After you left, this terrible man named Jasper came. I’ll never forget how cold his eyes were.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“H-He rounded us all up in the centre of the village…and then he ordered his men to kill us.” She did her best to smile, “But we were lucky. Another soldier came and told him to stop. He said there was no need to take our lives. They still burnt the village down and locked us all in the castle, but that good man made sure we came to no harm.”

There was only one person who would stand any chance at getting between Jasper and his chosen victim. No wonder Hendrik had caught up to her and Erik so easily before they’d gotten to the Door of Departure, he’d been in the area the entire time. Still, the reminder that Hendrik was once again closer than she’d like was enough to make Ellie tug her hood back up, ignoring Gemma’s confused look.

Besides, now Ellie had another dilemma, and in further defiance of her plan to grab the information she needed and leave before too many people noticed her arrival, she let her heart win over her head, promising it would just be this once. “I can’t stay long, but you don’t know if my mum made it here alright, do you? She’ll kill me if I leave without saying hello.”

Thankfully, Gemma didn’t ask any questions, instead just taking Ellie’s hand and started leading the way, “Of course. She’ll be even happier to see you than I was!”

“As long as she isn’t as happy as Sandy was.” Ellie grinned, letting herself be tugged along.

* * *

Amber wasn’t as forceful as Sandy had been, but that was probably because in between Gemma revealing her and being pulled into the biggest hug she’d ever had, Ellie had enough time to plant her feet. Still, even if she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have minded, so long as she could just hold onto her mum for another few seconds.

“I can’t believe it’s you!” Amber sobbed, pulling away to cup her daughter’s face. “After all the awful things that happened, I was sure you were…you were…” Her mum gave another wail, muffled by Ellie’s shoulder as she did her best not to start crying as well.

With the other women of the knitting group Amber had been helming moving away to give them some privacy, the three of them sat down. Once her mum had calmed down a little, she and Gemma told Ellie everything that had happened, a similar story to the one Blue John had told her the day before, but adding one thing that she really, really could’ve done without learning.

“We’ve even got the King of Heliodor camped out here!”

It was unnerving how easy it was for her mum to forgive King Carnelian, especially when Ellie wasn’t sure they understood the whole story. No doubt he and Hendrik had done their best to keep things hushed up to avoid a panic, never mind the fact that the world had been plunged into darkness.

Obviously reading Ellie’s mind the same way she had been for the last sixteen years, Amber set a stern gaze on her daughter. “He may be the last person you want to see, but you should go and talk things through with the King. Your grandfather would’ve wanted you to at least try.” As if that wasn’t enough guilt tripping, Amber took Ellie’s hand in her own, and changed her frown to a soft smile, “Just pop your head into his tent will, you, love? For me?”

Mouth opening to argue, Ellie struggled for an argument, only to sigh and stand up again. It was rare enough to win a battle with her mum, and she didn’t think today was going to give her any more miracles. “Fine, but after that, I really can’t stay long. And I don’t see what it’ll achieve.”

Waving off her doubt with a satisfied smile, Amber pointed back the way she and Gemma had come. “It’s the one with the two flags in the middle of the camp, you can’t miss it. And be polite!” She added when Ellie was a few metres away.

Well, that was probably going to be easier said than done.

* * *

Finding the tent wasn’t as easy as her mum had made out, but there were more than enough people happy to point her in the right direction. Ellie had tried to avoid any familiar faces, given that her departure was going to be hard enough as it was, but then Cole had appeared out of nowhere, and that plan was scuttled. As soon as she let him out of sight, she knew he’d go running to his parents, who’d go to their neighbours and so on until the entire camp knew.

But one problem at a time. And, it was nice, listening his chatter about all the good work he’d been doing since Yggdrasil fell. He’d really grown up since she’d left.

Cole took her as far as the base of the little hill the King’s tent had been pitched on, before with one last excited burst of chatter he ran off, leaving her to deal with the guard on duty. “What business have you with King Carnelian, miss?” He said, not unkindly. “His Majesty is still recovering from Yggdrasil’s fall, and may not be able to see you at present.”

Briefly toying with the idea of just going all in and mentioning the Luminary, Ellie thought better of it. Her mum had told her to be polite after all, and she was pretty sure lying came under the ‘impolite’ heading. “Tell him Mistress Amber’s daughter has been sent to see him.”

The guard didn’t even have to shift. No sooner had Ellie spoken, a familiar yet tired voice came from inside the tent. “Send her in.”

Ignoring the guard’s puzzled expression, Ellie stepped around him and his spear, and paused at the flaps long enough to take a deep breath before going inside. She pulled the flaps closed behind her, knowing they weren’t much in the way of privacy, but went no further.

The tent was even smaller than it had seemed on the outside, with the King perhaps five paces away from her, seated on an ordinary little cot. Just as the guard had said, Carnelian looked far more withered than she had ever seen him, and a little part of Ellie wondered how much of that was due to current events, and how much was due to Mordegon suddenly ending his possession.

But his eyes were still bright with sense, and when Ellie pulled her hood down, knowing that there was no point even trying to hide now, the King let out a relieved sigh. “So, you are alive and well, I see.”

Ellie didn’t answer.

Misreading her silence, Carnelian deflated a little, letting a little more of that tiredness creep in, even as he continued speaking, “You have nothing to fear. I have regained my senses at last. The living nightmare that began for me so long ago has finally ended.”

Bristling, Ellie sat on the stool he had gestured to, but pulled it a little further away first. “With respect, it’s not you I’m scared of.” She’d let him draw his own conclusions on that one.

“No? Well, I cannot say that I’m not relieved. In truth, I can remember very little of what I did…only that I inflicted so much pain on so many…On you.”

Keeping her face carefully neutral, Ellie clasped her hands in her lap, looking at them instead, “You can’t be blamed for what Mordegon did.”

“Perhaps, but I am not so foolish to expect forgiveness. Instead, I simply ask that I be allowed to atone, by protecting those who remain.” King Carnelian hesitated, and when he spoke again his voice was far softer, as if hoping the guard wouldn’t hear them, “Tell me Eliza, can you recall what happened that fateful day? The events that came to pass beneath Yggdrasil’s branches?”

That had to be some kind of trick question, but when Ellie went to glare at him, the King wore a look of honest curiosity. So instead of describing Jasper’s arm around her neck, or Mordegon’s hand buried in her _heart,_ she just nodded, and before she could stop herself, “Do you?”

“I recall nothing. All I know is that the creature who had me in its grasp, this Mordegon, left me there. When at long last I returned to my senses I was here.”

Reminding herself of her own words, Ellie gave a little smirk. “At least you woke up dry. Queen Marina turned me into a fish.”

“Ah, small mercies.” Carnelian chuckled. It was strange to see an honest smile on his face compared to Mordegon’s smirks, and Ellie was sorry to see it vanish just as quickly as it had come, “There is something else, I must ask of you. Tell me…do you know if my daughter is alive?”

Ellie gave a hesitant nod, “Queen Marina said that my friends were scattered across Erdrea, but I don’t know where or how they are. I was hoping to find some information here.”

“I see. Well, I cannot say I’ve heard of any of them arriving here, but then I am not the best person to ask. That would Sir Hendrik.”

The tent flaps were suddenly pushed open, a soldier rushing in and dropping to his knee in one fluid movement, “Your Majesty, the Hero has returned! He brings more survivors seeking sanctuary!”

“Hm, talk of the devil.” Rising with no small amount of difficulty, Carnelian ignored their offer of help, but did nod to her, “Come, you must meet he to whom we owe our survival.”

“I don’t think he’d be very happy to see me, sire.” The memory of their last meeting before Yggdrasil was still very fresh in Ellie’s mind, as was the agreement they’d come to in that cabin. Hendrik had been willing to defy his King’s order and give her a chance to prove she wasn’t the monster he thought. Sure, they’d dealt with Krystalinda, but then she’d led Jasper right to Yggdrasil.

Even if Mordegon hadn’t been far behind, it was her fault they had gotten that far, her fault that the world lay in darkness. Somehow, she didn’t think Hendrik would have forgotten that like Carnelian clearly had.

The King himself regarded her with an unreadable expression, obviously choosing his words carefully, “You’ve been away for a long time, Luminary. Whatever differences you and Hendrik once had; they have been forgotten now.”

Unsure how to answer without revealing everything, Ellie let herself be gently herded from the tent, ready to run if she had to. “With all due respect, I’ll believe it when I see it.”

* * *

They arrived at the gate not long after Hendrik and his party came through, and Ellie almost didn’t spot him in his plain tunic, rather than the shiny armour that she had come to associate with him. He looked just as tired as his king did though, if not more so, the eyes that fell on the welcoming committee dragged down by heavy shadows. Hendrik barely looked at her, but any hope that he hadn’t recognised her was erased when his ever-present frown deepened, “So the Luminary lives.” Paying no attention the whispering it caused from the refugees who had followed him and the few soldiers who were just now getting the news from Cole, he then proceeded to ignore her entirely as he reported to King Carnelian.

Not that Ellie particularly minded putting off that confrontation, but she still stuck around, keeping her ears open. Listening only confirmed that things outside the walls were as bad as everyone kept saying, with the added caveat that the monsters were actually making the effort to attack the Bastion itself.

With a call for his men to get ready, Hendrik went to mount the horse waiting for him at the gate, leaving the King to sigh fondly. “As you see, he is as…eloquent as ever. But you must forgive him. He has fought harder than any of us, sacrificed more than anyone…” He sent a sideways look at Ellie. “Which is why his burden must be lightened.”

It didn’t require much thought to know what he was getting at, and even less to nod. Leaving her friends and Mum under Hendrik’s care was an easy decision to make when everything had seemed safe, but she wasn’t about to run away when monsters were at the gate.

Carnelian didn’t try hiding his approval at her choice, “Good. If we are able to withstand the assault tonight, we may yet survive. Join the troops after the fortress when you are ready.”

He went to leave with his guards, but paused when Ellie called out, unsure if she’d get the chance later. “Sire, there’s something I haven’t told you.”

“I’m sure it can wait, Luminary.”

Leaving Ellie holding her left wrist, the King allowed his guards to take him further into the camp, reeling off order after order for the evacuation. Watching him leave, Ellie sighed and with a quick glance around to make sure nobody was watching in their hurry to join the militia at the gates, she pulled her glove off just enough to prove that nothing had changed there.

“I hope you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for missing last week. They've signed me up for a lot more hours at work now, so I'm not getting much time to do any writing and it's likely updates will be bi-weekly at best. Hopefully it doesn't get any worse, but I'm edging closer to a few pieces I drafted ages ago, so we'll just have to see. 
> 
> Once again, hope you and yours are doing well, and continue to do so.


	29. Breaking Into The Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the King's request, Ellie and Sir Hendrik smuggle themselves into Heliodor Castle to bring back the light. Of course, that's easier said than done, especially when Ellie realises that sooner or later, she'll have to come clean about everything that happened at Yggdrasil, whether she likes it or not.

What passed for morning in this strange, horrible new world came, and found Ellie still behind the Last Bastion’s walls. For as long as she dared, she stayed in the bed that she and Gemma had shared the night before, staring at the tent walls and still praying that she’d wake up soon.

But gradually, noise began to creep in through the flaps, the people of the Bastion setting up like it was just another day, just as they’d been ordered to. And just like always, Sir Hendrik would be heading outside the walls with a small party, to try and make the world a little better for everyone still in it. That was what any monsters watching the Bastion would see, and hopefully by the time they realised any different, it would be too late for them to do anything.

Of course, before any of that, Ellie had to get up.

Her things were where she’d left them, and Ellie dressed as quietly as she was able to, trying not to disturb any of the tent’s other occupants. The King after all had told them that if the usurper’s spies noticed them saying farewell to each other, suspicions might be raised. It hadn’t stopped Gemma from sitting up half the night stitching small flowers on her skirt, or her mum from tutting over her old hood, promising to have something better made by the time she got back. It hadn’t stopped them like it hadn’t stopped Ellie from sitting with the forge, sharpening every weapon she could get her hands on, knowing these would be what protected her family while she and Hendrik were away.

This was how they said their goodbyes. It wouldn’t stop them from trying to say another one.

With a last look to them, Ellie blew them both a kiss, and after making sure her sword was secure on her hip, went to go meet Hendrik at the gates. As promised, he was waiting for her, and even though she had arrived right when he’d told her to, Ellie got the sense that he’d been waiting a while. “Have you made your preparations?” He asked when she was close enough, “We could be gone for some time.”

“All sorted.” Ellie nodded. She’d been as surprised to see Erik’s friend Derk running the camp store as he had been to see her, and after a brief catch up, they’d sorted out the supplies she and Hendrik would need and filled her bag. Guessing Hendrik didn’t need to know all that, Ellie gestured for him to take the lead.

They hadn’t gone more than five steps when they heard Amber calling. Wincing when Sir Hendrik sent a mild glare her way, Ellie pulled to a halt, letting her mum catch them up. “Mister Hendrik, I couldn’t have a quick word with Ellie, could I? It won’t take long, I promise!”

“As long as it _is_ quick.” Hendrik grumbled, but he removed himself to go to Obsidian’s side, something that evidently pleased the horse.

“So, you’re heading off again, hm?” Amber said, once they had moved a little further away. It didn’t give them much privacy, but the guards on duty were doing their best to ignore the conversation. “Well, just listen to Sir Hendrik and do as you’re told. Remember, you’re on the same side now.”

“I know, Mum.” That much had been proved in the battle the day before, when Hendrik had jumped between her and a monster ready to take her head off, and for a short time after finding her feet again, they’d both fought together. Still, five minutes of teamwork was hardly proof that sending them on this important mission would work out, but then nobody had really asked her.

Guessing her thoughts in that weird way that only mums could, Amber just smiled at her, “You’ll be fine, love. And when you get back, I want to hear all about it.”

Hendrik came over then, looking at the sky, “Time is short. Mistress Amber, Obsidian can take you back to safety.”

The giant black horse tossed her head, as if gesturing for Amber to follow, which after telling Hendrik to look after Ellie (and ignoring the mild groans this caused from her daughter) she did.

Watching until Amber was safe behind the gates once more, Ellie jogged to catch up with Hendrik. Guessing that he wasn’t going to be very talkative, she tried to picture the route in her head. The King had mentioned the castle sewers, no doubt referring to the ones she and Erik had led half the Heliodorian guard through during their jailbreak. She hoped Hendrik had a better idea of the layout than they had, because she really didn’t want to have to deal with that dragon again.

Smiling to herself at the memory, she almost jumped when Hendrik broke the silence between them, keeping his eyes pointed forwards. “Do not worry about your mother. The King has vowed to protect her, and the people of the encampment and he is a man of his word.”

“I know.” Truthfully, it wasn’t King Carnelian’s word she was worried about. Not that she was about to admit that to Hendrik. Deciding to change the subject, Ellie similarly avoided looking his way, “How long will it take to get to the foothills?”

“A few hours at least. We will need to travel through the Manglegrove first, but after that, I know of a church on the hill beneath Heliodor that we can use as a base while we search for the sewer entrance.”

“I think I know the one you mean. Erik and I stayed there after jumping off the cliff.” She hoped the old nun had managed to get herself someplace safe, though she hadn’t seen her around the Last Bastion… No, thinking like that wasn’t going to do her any favours. “Do you know if…”

“The nun in residence there was among the first to arrive at the Bastion.” Hendrik finally looked at her then, and Ellie had absolutely no clue how to read his expression.

* * *

It took a little time to climb up the cliffside, but really it was no harder than climbing the last part of the Tor, and after a little while, she was staring out over the hills of Heliodor, just as she had months before. It was no less breath-taking, though in a different way, and in terms of company… “If you intend to repeat history, try and restrain yourself until after we have dealt with the usurper.”

“I don’t think it works twice.” Ellie shrugged, stepping away from the edge. Moving to where Hendrik was waiting by the entrance, she went to say something else, but was cut off by the sound of wings flapping somewhere above them.

With a yank on her arm, she and Hendrik hid in the entranceway’s shadows, holding their breath as the sky was suddenly filled with flying monsters, some even holding land-based creatures in their claws. An army on their way to war and they wouldn’t need long to reach their target.

“We’re too late.” Ellie breathed.

“Only if we don’t move quickly. Come.” Still, Ellie noticed that Hendrik couldn’t resist taking one last look of his own before clenching his jaw and leading the way further in. He unlocked the doors to the sewers and pulled a torch from the wall, while Ellie took a nervous peek down the nearby tunnel, which was enough to confirm that a certain dragon was still in residence. Briefly wondering if it was worth asking Hendrik if he knew it was there, Ellie decided this wasn’t the time.

Besides, she wasn’t sure if she’d like the answer.

The monsters patrolling the sewers were thankfully not as numerous as the ones heading to the Last Bastion, and those that they weren’t able to creep past were swiftly silenced before they could alert their fellows. In less than an hour the pair of them were in the castle dungeon, though not the level where her and Erik’s cells had been. Ellie still recognised some parts from her first march down here, but kept her comments to a minimum, even when they passed the stairs leading down to the castle’s depths.

At the next set, Hendrik paused to pull his greatsword from his back, waiting until she’d done the same before handing the torch over. “Resistance thus far has been minimal. I doubt it will be the same in the castle’s main hall.”

“I can handle it.” Ellie assured, unsure why he was bothering with the warning. It wasn’t like they’d come here on a social call.

“I am aware. You should still prepare yourself, Luminary.” For some reason, Hendrik seemed to hesitate then. Unnerved, Ellie waited for him to spit it out, only to be disappointed when he just shifted his grip on the hilt of his sword, and began to push ahead, leaving her at the bottom of the stairs. There had been something in his eyes, something she knew very well from their previous interactions.

_Well done. The Hero of Heliodor needs focus, and instead you’re making him suspicious. Wonder how long it’ll be before he works it all out._

* * *

As it turned out, not very long.

Their plan to use to the Grand Stairway to get to the throne room being slightly set back by the fact that there no longer _was_ a Grand Stairway, they’d looked for another way upstairs, only to stumble out into a small courtyard that was home to an oak tree. And around the trunk, an Yggdrasil root curled, still glowing softly despite the loss of its main body.

And out of habit more than anything else, Ellie had reached for it, realising too late that nothing was going to happen, and she was either going to have to come up with an excuse, or come clean. Already he was giving her a strange look, his mouth opening to ask the obvious question.

So naturally, the root waited until she was stuttering out the beginnings of either to respond to her touch, the light almost blinding their dark-adjusted eyes.

When the vision had ended, they were plunged back into darkness, but as sudden as it was, that wasn’t what had Ellie gasping for breath. Had she looked, she might’ve noticed that she wasn’t the only one affected, but then Hendrik had a very different reason for doing so.

_Well, maybe not_ so _different._

Ellie realised she was gripping her wrist again, playing with the cuff of her glove. She probably didn’t have long before Hendrik snapped out of his own stupor, and demanded answers. But it was difficult to think of what to say that wouldn’t just make him more suspicious or distract him from the fight ahead, because she was certainly past that point herself.

The end of her thinking time was heralded by Hendrik shaking his head, as if to clear off the last vestiges of that vision, though she didn’t realise it at first. “So, this is your power, Luminary? You can draw on memories amassed by the World Tree and pry into others’ pasts?” He glanced at the root, sounding about ten stone lighter when he next spoke, “I confess, I am glad to see whatever held you back before has passed. No doubt we shall need every edge we can get when we face the usurper.”

_Now what are you going to do? Unless there’s an incoming storm, I don’t think there’ll be a lot of lightning flying about._

“Luminary?” Hendrik was looking at her now, the relief gradually slipping away. Then, when she still didn’t answer, he tried again, “Eliza?”

Ellie finally blinked, and pulled her eyes back upwards. The root’s soft glow had completely faded now, its job done in more ways than one. Then she forced herself to meet Hendrik’s eyes. It was easier than she’d thought it would be, now that the moment had come.

Still, she moved quickly, guessing it wouldn’t take long for her stomach to start churning again. Her gloves were easily tugged off, and by the time she next hesitated, both hands were in the open, the right tightly wrapped around the left.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

No going back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if this seems off in any way. I know I've haven't been up to my usual standard lately, and I can only half blame work on that. I'm afraid I might have to go back to just updating when I finish a chapter rather than trying to adhere to a deadline. Hopefully once we get some companions back into the mix, things'll pick up :)


	30. The Knight and His Charge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hendrik slips away from the celebrations, and finds he's not the only one who's done so.

He shouldn’t have been surprised to see that he wasn’t the only one who had slipped away early, but then Hendrik wasn’t expecting to find Princess Eliza hiding between two tents in the military camp and nursing a bottle that looked suspiciously similar to the ones that Derk had been handing out all day. She was wrapped up in both her own thoughts and the near six foot of knitting her mother had presented her with shortly after the party had started, but every now and then she would take a sip and her gaze went just a bit further away.

He couldn’t entirely blame her of course. The day had been hard on them both, between the fight with Jasper’s lackey, and the stomach sinking panic as they’d hurried back to the Bastion, praying that hadn’t been too late. Putting aside all that, there was still Jasper’s threats and accusations to deal with, mostly aimed at Hendrik of course, but those delicate taunts he had sent Eliza’s way had been just as hard to listen to.

Hendrik had allowed himself one cup while giving his report to the King, but the drinks had been flowing freely outside the royal tent. A little too freely it seemed, if the bottle in Eliza’s hands were any indication.

Making a mental note to remind the merchant that his still was only permitted as long as he kept it and its contents responsibly, Hendrik had moved forwards and snatched the nearly empty bottle out of her hands before Eliza even realised he was there. “What the…”

Hendrik poured the rest out before she could protest any further, “I know today has been…trying, but this will not help.” Goddess knows he’d seen this type of thing play out enough times to know that much.

She gave him a very unimpressed, and remarkably steady look, “It’s apple juice, Sir Hendrik.” Hendrik blinked, and looked at the bottle in his hand, before going back to Eliza’s face, which was steadily breaking into a grin. “Do you really think my mum would let me and Gemma within two feet of Derk’s moonshine?”

While she laughed, he took a discreet sniff at the bottle, and almost sighed when he saw she had been telling the truth. “Ah, forgive me.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She didn’t say anything else, or make any move to emerge from her hiding place. Unsure whether she wanted him to leave or stay, Hendrik hesitated, and was just thinking of an excuse to leave when she raised her head again. “How did your report with the King go?”

“Well enough.” Hendrik paused again, taking in her hiding place with clearer eyes and seeing how tightly curled up she was. “Your Highness, wouldn’t you be more comfortable out here? I can find you a chair.”

Eliza snorted again, but didn’t answer the question. Instead she still seemed interested in the report, “Did you tell him everything?”

Suddenly, Hendrik had a bad feeling he knew what the problem was, and it had little to do with just getting away from a party for a bit. “I did.”

“How did he take the news?”

Her voice was soft, but Hendrik still glanced around, looking out for anyone who had stumbled from the party and might overhear. There was nobody in sight, and he highly doubted any of their stealthier fighters would pick now of all times to get some practise in, but he still double-checked the area. Only when he was absolutely certain that they were alone did he look back to the princess, still waiting for his answer, “This is not a conversation to be had with you in there like that.” He held out his hand, and when she simply looked at it, went to withdraw just as she finally took it. With some care she was extracted from between the tents and back out in the open.

The way she moved betrayed how uncomfortable her previous position had been, but Hendrik wasn’t so foolish to assume she wouldn’t go back in a second if she saw the need. Pushing that thought aside for now, he collected two of the folding chairs that were scattered about, and thought over his answer. He pretended not to notice the way she chewed on her lip as he thought, or how she pulled the hood she had made out of her new scarf just a bit further over her head.

“His Majesty’s initial reaction was much the same as my own,” Hendrik started, trying not to frown when Eliza sucked in her breath. It was understandable of course, given that Hendrik’s own response to seeing the bare flesh on her left hand and the revelation that Eliza no longer had control of the divine gifts of the Luminary had been to gape in silence before curtly demanding they move on.

At the time he had been too focused on the mission and rearranging strategies in his head to take account of this new development to realise that it hadn’t been the best way to react. “However, he was intrigued to learn that you were still able to access visions of the past, and suggested a theory that I think you might agree is plausible at the very least.”

“He wasn’t angry?” Eliza asked, “I mean, I didn’t tell either of you about it and-“

Hendrik shook his head, cutting her off. He could understand why she would’ve kept that detail to herself, especially when he considered that there had been no ‘best’ time to bring it up. “No, he was not angry. He regretted that you saw the need to keep such a thing to yourself, but as I said, he believes there may be hope yet.” He waited until Eliza was looking at him again, “When I told him of the vision from the World Tree’s root, His Majesty posited that perhaps your powers are not so much lost as they are sealed.”

“Sealed how?”

“That he does not know, I’m afraid. Rest assured though, he intends to look for possible explanations or courses of action that we may take.” Even if no definite answer was found, King Carnelian would think of somewhere where one might be found.

Eliza nodded along, seeming to understand. He couldn’t quite read her expression, but then it wasn’t his place to. He had seen the kind of trust she placed in her friends and was not so naïve to expect the same to be given to him so easily. A few battles together and a pledge did not wipe out their previous history. Perhaps with time, but certainly not a single day.

“Do you think Jasper was telling the truth about my friends?” She was staring into her lap, fingers twisting round and round each other in a complicated mess. Watching for a few seconds, Hendrik considered his answer. It would be kinder to lie, and he supposed a lie was somewhat what she was hoping for. But the idea still sat wrong in his chest, even if the memory tasted just as harsh.

Jasper had painted a horrible picture for each of them, after Hendrik had taken the blast he’d sent at Eliza. The traitor had been amused by the action, asking if Hendrik wanted to know how the Darkspawn treated her friends when things turned difficult. Lord Robert and the two mage girls had likely been torn to shreds in the first week. The jester wouldn’t fare much better, but would likely do better than Princess Jade, who had been enslaved by another of Mordegon’s generals.

All of this Eliza had been able to ignore, even if she had started to shake in rage at the description of Princess Jade’s fate. But then Jasper had pulled out his trump card.

* * *

_“We even had the thief, at one point.” Eliza had stiffened, and had it not been for the arm Hendrik had held out, might’ve thrown herself at Jasper. As it was, the false knight had smirked, “Oh yes. I recalled how useful he had been as bait, and suggested he was worth holding onto just in case.”_

_“Let him go.” It wasn’t a request. Eliza’s tone had been pure steel, full of all the things she would do if her order wasn’t followed. “Let him go, or I swear there’s nowhere Mordegon can hide you where I won’t find you and make you pay!”_

_Jasper had raised an eyebrow at her words, shaking his head like it was the saddest thing he had ever heard. “Such devotion you show…to a corpse.”_

_Hendrik hadn’t been able to stop her that time._

* * *

“It pains me to say that the best lies are often rooted in truth.” He said now, and before Eliza’s face could twist in pain, he went on, “At the same time, I believe Jasper saw the lengths you would go to for your friends while you were in Gondolia.” He let that sink in. “He knows to hit where his opponent is weakest, and your friends are easily your biggest weakness, Princess.”

She shot him with a familiar glare, “They’re not a weakness.”

“Not in a conventional sense. But you have proven on more than one occasion that their safety is worth more than your own, and Jasper knows that.” Hendrik waited until he was sure she was mulling that over before going on, “I cannot speak as surely as I might’ve, but I daresay you would do well to remember that this is not the first time Jasper tricked you into thinking your loved ones were dead.” He had been sickened to hear that particular detail during his investigation in Gondolia. Jasper already had Eliza prepared to give herself up, and yet he had felt the need to goad her with that. It had been then that he’d seriously begun to question what was afflicting his former friend, even if the answer had been more horrific than he had dared imagined.

Seeming to understand what he wasn’t saying, Eliza gave a slow nod, and then fixed him with a surprisingly sympathetic look, “I’m sorry. I know he was your friend.”

“Once, perhaps.” He wondered when Jasper had thrown his lot in with Mordegon, whether there was anything Hendrik might’ve done or said that would have brought Jasper back to the light eventually. Nothing came to mind, but he supposed that if it was that easy, the solution would’ve appeared long before it was too late.

There was no reason to say this aloud though. Hendrik’s error was his own to bear, and not something that Eliza needed to be burdened with. No doubt they would face Jasper again, and when the time came, Hendrik would give his old friend a single chance.

For now though, he looked past Eliza to where the music was still being accompanied by several cheerful voices, and where a few people were started to look around for something.

“Now, I suggest we should get our excuses in order. We have been absent for some time, and I have a feeling it’s been noticed.” Eliza snorted again, but it was a lighter sound than before, and she nodded. While he returned the stools to their previous locations, she waited patiently, obviously thinking about their conversation.

Today, they had brought back the light. The day before that, they had defended the people of the camp against an entire army. Whatever tomorrow brought, Hendrik knew it would only be another step on their path to defeat Mordegon and his generals. As long as they kept faith and kept looking forwards, there would be nothing to fear.

And if there was, it would find that getting to the Luminary, powerless or not, would be far easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God it's finally here! :D
> 
> In all genuine seriousness, I'm so sorry it took this long to come out and sorry that it's not a longer piece. But hopefully getting this out will provide me with the kick up the backside to keep going, and hopefully, a little quicker next time. Thank you guys for sticking with this, I don't know what I'd do without your support.
> 
> Also, a little something I promised a few chapters back :) : https://flaxenhairedsamurai.tumblr.com/post/624199819073880064/ellies-act-2-outfit-from-the-parts-they-leave


	31. The Blame Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie learns the hard way that Rab's not about to let her take all the blame, especially when he's just woken up from a magical coma (and possibly bearing a few bruises courtesy of his old master).

The problem with falling into magical slumbers was that it royally messed your sleep schedule up. Ellie had gotten a taste of that right after surfacing, and it had taken the battle outside the Last Bastion to make her feel remotely tired, and she had a nasty feeling it was going to happen again when she opened her eyes to the familiar sound of her grandfather’s snoring.

At least she knew he’d definitely escaped the Void as well.

Doing her best to comfort herself with that thought, Ellie slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, staring across the room to where Rab was lying under a pile of blankets that did absolutely nothing to hide just how thin he had become while up on that mountaintop. It was going to take more than a few good meals to get him healthy again, maybe even more before Ellie would stop worrying. She wouldn’t know how serious it was until he woke up though, and judging by the pitch of his snores, that was a while off yet.

Snoozing on a chair by the door, his weapon in easy reach, Hendrik didn’t stir as Ellie padded across the room. Exactly what kind of danger he expected could appear this deep in the temple was a mystery, but then she guessed it might’ve been for his own peace of mind. Still, it was a little funny that he didn’t notice the blanket she draped around his shoulders, awkwardly tucking it in as best she could.

That done, Ellie moved to the room’s other occupant, kneeling down to rest her head on the side of the bed. Rab’s fingers felt far too delicate when she threaded her own through them, like she could snap them clean off with the briefest squeeze. The thought was enough to make her pull her hand back again. That hug they’d shared in the Void hadn’t lasted nearly long enough, but it was going to have to be enough for now.

Trying not to think about that too much, Ellie stared at her grandfather, forcing her mind onto the coming days. As soon as Rab was feeling up to it, they’d probably set back out. Hopefully he would have some idea of where they should go next, and if not, their best bet might be heading to Phnom Nohn and seeing if any interesting gossip had passed through that area. If not…well.

(This had been their only lead. King Carnelian’s only suggestion as to where she might find some clue about regaining her powers. Still…she’d be lying if she said she was unhappy with how things had turned out. Finding Rab and getting him back safe was worth far more than any vague hint.)

Knowing it would be a long time before anyone woke up and any decisions could be made, Ellie looked around for something to do, her eyes landing on the small pile of books Hendrik had been reading the night before, after getting into a discussion with the High Lama about the temple’s history. When the meal had drawn to a close, the High Lama had sent the books to their room, correctly guessing that Hendrik wasn’t just being polite.

Ellie skimmed through the early chapters, occasionally pausing when something caught her eye. It was, admittedly, interesting to see how the temple had gradually expanded, both in size and curriculum, and Ellie briefly wondered what it would be like many years from now. There was also an entire chapter on the use of the Naughty Stick, which made her wrist give a soft twinge, but after that, nothing really caught her eye until she turned the page, and saw that the author had copied the inscription from the Field of Discipline.

_We two sworn companions, Erdwin and Morcant, do hereby pledge to lay low the Dark One, though it cost us our very lives. May this pact stand from now until eternity._

At first, Ellie hadn’t been able to understand what it was about the stone tablet that was bugging her, but now that she was alone, staring at those same words on a page rather than hard stone, the answer was obvious. If this Morcant really had accompanied Erdwin on his journey, why was it that she’d never heard of him? What had happened to him that rendered his name forgotten, while Serenica and Drustan’s names lived on?

Knowing how the story had ended for his friend, Ellie was willing to bet this would be one more thing that Mordegon would have to answer for when the time came. _If_ the time came.

Putting aside the thought for now, Ellie picked up the next book in the pile. It was a collection of stories about Erdwin’s travels, no different than the stories Chalky would sometimes tell at bedtime, and even though they didn’t offer her any more clues (Morcant’s name once again notable in its absence), Ellie read on. It was nice to lose herself in the stories for a little bit, keeping a firm lid on the corner of her mind trying to remind her how it had all ended, and as the sun’s first rays began to creep in through the windows, Ellie felt at peace, in a way she hadn’t been since waking up underwater.

At least until she realised how quiet the room had suddenly gotten, that Rab hadn’t snored in nearly five minutes now.

Her head shot up, but before her mind could start whispering, there was a hand on her cheek. For a long second, she and Rab just stared at each other, then with a noise that sounded halfway between a laugh and a sob, Rab was struggling to sit up, wrapping both arms around her and cutting her off before she could tell him to be careful. “Och, a few hot meals and I’ll be right as rain, lass.” He laughed into her hair, “Now hush and let me make sure this isnae another dream.”

He sounded so like his old self that Ellie gave her own laugh, and after hesitating just a second longer, she was hugging him back, albeit far more carefully. Neither of them spoke, even to joke about how wet their shoulders were getting. Ellie was too terrified that this _was_ just another dream, and that she’d wake up and find that things had gotten even worse somehow.

But all too soon, Rab started pulling away, and she let him. His hands tucked her hair out of her face and wiped under her eyes, and for a split second, she was able to forget how deathly thin he’d become. Except then the moment passed, and she saw him clearly again. How much he was obviously straining to stop himself from flopping back down, how his fingers shook.

Ducking his gaze, Ellie stumbled over her apology, wiping at her eyes before he had to move again. “I’m sorry, Rab.”

“Och, what on earth for, lass? Last I checked, ye’re the one who risked coming to the Void, not to mention the auld Naughty Stick, and I was the one who forgot about my body in the real world.” He let out a soft chuckle, “Not to mention knocking ye to the flagstones in that first round.”

She let him finish laughing before speaking again, “I lost the power of the Luminary, Rab. You and Jade put all that faith in me, and I just let Mordegon take it.” Seeing the disbelief in her grandfather’s eyes, Ellie ripped off her left glove and held the hand up, “Now Jade and all the others are missing and you nearly _died_ up here and…” Ellie cut herself off, remembering what Hendrik had told her. Until they had absolute proof, she had to believe Erik was alive. Thinking any differently just gave Mordegon another advantage over her.

“Blaming yerself won’t help any, lass.” Rab pointed out. “What’s done is done. All we can do is work with what we have. And I wouldnae say it’s completely hopeless. We gave Mordegon a kick in the jacksie today that he won’t soon forget.” The twinkle in his eye hadn’t dulled a bit, “And now look at us, wielding the skills of the old heroes!”

“Two techniques aren’t going to beat Mordegon. No offence but I barely beat _you,_ even with Quadraslash.”

“I’ll have less of that too. At least until we’re sure Grand Master Pan isnae in a haunting mood.”

Ellie had to agree with that one. One thwack for ‘wasting time with foolish excuses’ had been bad enough. She didn’t want to know what Grand Master Pang would do if she saw Ellie still ‘sulking over what can’t be helped’.

“Anyway, if there’s any apologies to give, I’d say I owe ye one, wouldnae ye say?”

“What could you possibly have to apologise for?” A soft snort from behind her told Ellie to keep her voice down. This was the last conversation she wanted Hendrik overhearing.

Rab’s eyes flashed over her shoulder, but didn’t bring up the fact that their former enemy was on watch. If anything when he looked back, Ellie was reminded of that night they’d sat on the altar steps in Dundrasil, and before he could say anything else, she was shaking her head, “Rab…”

“I made ye a promise lass. I said ye’d never be alone again, that I’d never leave ye.”

“That was out of your hands.” She protested. “You couldn’t have known…” The words trailed off, Ellie spotting the trap too late.

“Just like ye couldn’t have known Mordegon was going to attack us.” Rab said, arching his eyebrow.

Ellie thought of the intruder Erik had heard outside their camp. The one she’d distracted him from, and then completely forgotten to mention to the others. Maybe if she’d remembered, things might’ve gone differently. But how to explain that now, without telling Rab about what had been bothering Erik, when he’d been so reluctant to even admit there was something wrong. “It’s not the same. Anyway,” She changed the subject, hoping Rab wouldn’t notice and knowing he would, “I wasn’t really alone. I was asleep for most of it.”

“Aye, I suppose not. Still, I’m looking forwards to finding out how ye ended up with Hendrik of all people.”

She looked over her shoulder, where Hendrik had slowly started to slump in his seat. “It’s a long story, but he’s on our side now. Him and Carnelian.” Wondering where she should start, Ellie was cut off by a yawn that somehow forced its way out, and while she blinked in surprise, Rab was smiling again.

“I dinnae doubt it lass. For now, see if ye can get any more sleep lass. There’ll be plenty more time to catch up when the sun’s up.”

“Promise?” Ellie tried to joke, realising her mistake when Rab’s smile changed to a soft frown.

“Aye, I promise. I’m not going anywhere this time.” Then, he grinned, “Well, except to the food hall, I suppose. I know how ye like yer lie ins.”

Rolling her eyes, Ellie waited until she was back on her own bed to respond. “Just leave _some_ food in the pantry, Rab. They actually like us here.”

“Ah, now there’s a promise I can’t make.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, good news! I've got a week off work and when I do go back it'll be to far fewer hours, which means more time for writing and more time to actually think of plots. Thank you everyone for sticking with me through this, you guys are seriously the best.
> 
> Next time, the chapter you've all been waiting for :) Everyone's favourite spotlight stealing jester makes his return!


	32. The Most Precious Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A joyful reunion gets tempered by a monster's actions, which somehow leads to Sylv sneaking off for a chat with good old Hendrik. 
> 
> What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely Daffodilia has drawn fanart for this story! I tried adding it to this chapter but it didn't go to plan, but luckily...we have a link!
> 
> https://daffodiliadraws.tumblr.com/image/628102118294929408

Looking back, Sylvando knew he should’ve guessed it was going to be a busy day. Things had just been a little too quiet (at least, as quiet as it ever got) for his liking, given that they were on the road to the tourist trap that was Phnom Nonh.

Granted they weren’t expecting to find hordes of holidaymakers, but the silence coming out of the region was too concerning not to investigate. So, it was almost a relief when they all heard the yelling up ahead. From there, things went as they normally did: They surprised the weretiger terrorising the travellers, dealt with it in a manner that wouldn’t scare its victims further, and then checked to make sure nobody was hurt.

“Sylvando?”

“Aye, it is!”

It was the last step where things had gone off script. He had turned to the hooded girl who had been only two steps from stabbing the weretiger, and saw Ellie’s wide eyes staring back at him. Thinner than he would’ve preferred and being followed by Sir Hendrik of all people, but when he thought about how a reunion had started to look impossible, well. He wasn’t going to nitpick this miracle.

That thought was almost cut down when he pulled himself back to reality. There was nothing wrong on the surface, but he didn’t miss how it wavered when he introduced her small party to his Soldiers, or how her left hand went behind her when more than one of them let out gasps of “The Luminary!”, as if expecting one of them to demand to see the Mark of Light then and there, or how her mouth had just barely opened, as if she’d been able to correct him on something.

But before he could think of a single thing to say that wouldn’t make her close up or go running for the hills, the man they’d rescued came over to offer his thanks and the moment was gone, if it had been there at all. Dave had gotten through the starstruck Soldiers of Smile to lift Ellie clean off the ground, her shriek of surprise neatly distracting Hendrik, who had been looking a little too closely for comfort, and Rab who had just enough time to send a knowing look Sylvando’s way before going to rescue his granddaughter.

The entire situation was familiar in the worst way possible, only this time, he didn’t intend to let things fester. So as soon as he’d promised Da they’d get him home safely, and Ellie’s boots were back on the ground, Sylvando slung an arm around her shoulders, “Listen, darling, we have a lot to talk about. So how about tagging along with us for a little while, hm?” He caught her dubious look at the float and all the costumes, “Feathers non-compulsory, of course. For now, anyway.”

He tried not to worry when she looked like she was actually having to think about it. Then her smile was back, “Well, as long as they’re non-compulsory. I don’t think Hendrik could really pull it off.”

“Ah, I’m sure we could find him something fabulous to wear. How about you, Rab? Feathers or no feathers?” It was easy to fall back into the familiar pattern of cracking jokes and even if it was strange doing it with Hendrik right there, clearly listening to every word, Sylvando wouldn’t change a thing.

Besides which, he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t fun watching Hendrik running in circles trying to pin down just where he and Sylvando and last met. No doubt he’d work it out eventually, but Sylvando still was still interested to see how long it would take him to figure it out, and how many hints it would take.

* * *

In the end, his chance to sit down with Ellie and talk through precisely what was bothering her never came. While Ellie and Hendrik were asking around town to find out what had been lost, Rab had pulled him aside and given him the whole story in a few rushed sentences. It certainly answered a lot of his questions, and as they set out for Avarith’s lair, he’d given Ellie’s hand a quick squeeze before telling her that he was too glad to see her in one piece to care that a certain birthmark was missing. There hadn’t been time for more, but Sylvando still saw a little of the fear leave Ellie’s smile before Hendrik called her back to the front.

From there it was just business as normal. They put down the monster terrorising the people of Phnom Nonh, returned everything and everyone to their rightful homes, and enjoyed the feeling of a job well done, even if Son and Da’s reunion had hit a little close to home for some of them. Now all that was left to do was get the parade to Puerto Valor, and from there, the freedom of the open seas.

For now though, they were staying close to Phnom Nonh. Dealing with Avarith had taken the better part of the day, and everyone was too tired to go traipsing all the way to the coast. The inn simply didn’t have enough room for all of them, so instead of picking and choosing, everyone agreed it would be better to spend the night under the stars, as a group.

In complete contradiction to their earlier claims, camp was full of music and laughter, with more than a few of the townspeople coming out to join them. The Soldiers of Smile were clearly trying to not let the impending separation loom over them, and Sylvando couldn’t be prouder of them.

For once happy to sit on the edge, refusing to think about the upcoming reunion and what he would do if his _papi_ refused to accept his apology, Sylvando watched one of the Beastly Boys pull Ellie to her feet and into the dancing circle they’d set up. Together the two of them managed a passable jig that was mainly a lot of jumping and spinning, and that landed them both on the ground in a hysterical heap when the song finished.

“Amazing what ye don’t notice is gone until ye get it back.” Rab sighed, “Ye’ve done good work with these lads.”

“I only hope _Papi_ agrees with you. They’re too talented to waste their lives waving swords around.” Admittedly, he wasn’t certain that the great Don Rodrigo would be able to teach anything else, so at this point he’d settle for them being allowed to embrace their own talents as well as the noble art of swordplay. “That’s if he doesn’t just turn us away at the gate.”

So much for not worrying about it.

“I wouldnae worry about it. Every time Jade and I would visit Don Rodrigo he would mention ye.” He took a sip of his ale, and Sylvando found himself the victim of one of Rab’s stern gazes. “He may not have outright said it, but I know he misses ye.”

“He misses Norberto. I imagine his reception will be quite different for Sylvando.” Years without a word passing between them would leave a mark on anyone, let alone two who had parted as he and his _papi_ had. No, this was going to have to be dealt with a delicate touch, and likely a fair amount of grovelling on his part.

Expressing this to Rab was cut off when he spotted movement at the edge of camp. He turned to look and was surprised to see that Hendrik had finished his mild crisis from earlier and had finally decided to do something about it. To be honest, Sylvando had thought he’d have at least another hour before having to deal with this. Still, perhaps it was better done now rather than later.

“Ooh, I think I’m in for a little lecture.” Sylvando grinned, nodding at the approaching knight. Snorting into his tankard, Rab hastily excused himself as they had agreed to do when the time came.

Barely seeming to notice Rab’s exit, Hendrik stopped within a few metres of Sylvando, spine so straight it actually hurt to look at. “I would speak with you, if it’s convenient.” Goddess, even his tone sounded official.

Keeping that particular observation to himself, Sylvando drained his own cup and rose, feeling his sword bounce against his leg, “Very well. But I hope you don’t mind if we take this elsewhere?” He sent a meaningful look towards the others, where Rab had taken Ellie’s hands and was trying (with limited success) to teach the group a traditional Drasilian dance.

Hendrik flicked his eyes across, and when they returned, they were laced with suspicion that Sylvando scoffed at, “Hendrik, the last thing that girl needs is to worry about her allies arguing, bickering or otherwise not getting along. Now, I’ve no doubt that she’s probably expecting some form of disagreement between us, but I’d rather not spoil her fun by doing it right in front of her when we can do it elsewhere.”

When Hendrik didn’t answer, Sylvando briefly wondered if they were about to argue about where they were going to argue. At long last though, Hendrik gave a jerky nod and told him to lead the way.

They didn’t go too far. Out of the Goddess statue’s protection certainly, which is why he’d brought his sword, but close enough that if Rab wasn’t able to deter any search parties, they wouldn’t have far to come. Picking a point at random, Sylvando slowed, and tried no to roll his eyes when he saw how tense his companion was. “Oh lighten up, Hendrik. We’ve probably scared off every monster within a mile.” A particularly loud blast from a horn forced Sylvando to correct himself, “Within two miles. Now, I take it this is where you begin listing my sins against the Knight’s Pledge and my father? If so, I should warn you, it won’t be anything I haven’t already told myself.”

Hendrik’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, “That matter is for you and Don Rodrigo to settle. I would not presume to intrude on such a private matter. If anything, learning who you truly are, _Sylvando,_ simply helps clear up a matter I could not understand.”

“And what matter would that be, hm?”

Annoyingly, Hendrik didn’t answer, instead turning his head away and speaking into the air, “I simply wish to assure you that you have no need to fear for Princess Eliza’s safety. I made a vow in my King’s presence that no harm will come to her while I draw breath, and I intend to honour that pledge to the end.”

“Oh honey, don’t you think you should be telling Rab that? Unless of course you’re planning on making this little speech to everyone we pick up on this next leg of the journey?” Honestly, he wouldn’t put it past the old worrywart, but he didn’t have to be so uptight about it. If he’d just said this instead of being a stoic pillar, they probably wouldn’t have needed to leave camp, and this could all be over in seconds.

“Lord Robert graciously accepted my apology before we left Angri-La.” Sylvando must’ve been seeing things, because it looked like Hendrik was actually fidgeting, “However, I believe his easy acceptance was helped by his understanding that I was merely acting on the orders given to me.”

More likely, Sylvando thought, having seen the shiny new power Rab had picked up several times on the way to Avarith’s lair, if for any reason Hendrik had fallen short of his word, the knight would have taken the quick way down to the bottom of the mountain. Well, that and the fact that Rab was still very much a former king. For him and those like him, knights were simply instruments of their master’s desires, never flinching or questioning any order.

It wasn’t a bad way to think, necessarily. It was just…not always true, and where it was, it wasn’t always best for it to be that way.

Considering that, Sylvando quirked his head, “Whereas I took the Pledge alongside you, and was also told that sometimes the best thing a knight that do is disregard the orders he is given, if it means he can better serve the people he is sworn to protect.” He shook his head. “Hendrik, honey, what’s done is done. If you’re really that torn up about it, then prove it by helping us now. I’m not going to waste any time over old grudges.” Especially when he was banking on his _papi_ taking that same view.

Believing that was the end of it, Sylvando waved the way they came in a suggestion that they get back, but hadn’t taken more than three steps before Hendrik spoke again.

“Even for the girl that you love as your own?”

“ _Perdone?”_ It slipped out before Sylvando could catch it, even as he urged his feet to keep going.

“She called for you.” Hendrik said, somehow making the four words sound like damning evidence. And darn if it wasn’t good for stopping Sylvando right in the middle of his exit. “When she was recovering from the ice witch’s magic, and before then, when she was in the forest, it was only your name that Eliza called. I couldn’t understand why…”

“Why out of everybody, she chose the mere jester.” Sylvando finished for him. “You think I told Ellie of my past? No, Hendrik, I kept her in the dark just as I did everyone else, and she was probably confused by you using her full name.” There, a nice, neat explanation.

“Then why, when Avarith threatened to take _your_ most treasured possession, did you keep yourself between her and Eliza until you were absolutely certain that she had taken your bait?”

Sylvando let the look on his face answer that question, and perhaps it did. Hendrik finally seemed to remember that wasn’t what they’d come out to discuss, and ducked his head in an apology that Sylvando accepted with his own nod. The two of them treaded back to the camp in silence, which only broke when Ellie called him over so he could watch her dancing. He went with a smile, trying not to think about Hendrik’s eyes watching him.

He loved Ellie dearly, but no more or less than he did the others. Besides that kind of place in her heart was reserved for King Irwin, Rab or whoever bore the title of her father in Cobblestone. It was just easier to show that kind of affection to her because she accepted it so happily. Erik would always tease him when he got too mother henny, the twins had their own parents back in Arboria, and Jade was more independent, looking to Rab first when she did need advising.

Even if the thought of Avarith snatching Ellie away and locking her up like some kind of trophy had played on his mind all through the 'negotiations', or the way his stomach had twisted when Hendrik had said that she'd only called for him when she'd been lost in the Hekswood...

No, Sylvando was happy enough with his role in this story, and he saw no reason to give it any more thought than he already had.

“Oh sweetie, that reminds me, I’d meant to give this to you earlier.”

“My horse hailer? I can’t believe you kept hold of it.”

Well, he’d wanted something to take his mind off their next destination. He couldn’t say he hadn’t gotten it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn it Sylv, this was supposed to be a fluffy reunion chapter that ended with them kicking Avarith in the behind. But no, you just had to take it over again and turn it into a discussion on the game's relationships. 
> 
> Big thanks to my two best friends who provided a lot of support with this one, and to Daffodilia for the truly wonderful art.


	33. Dinner at Papi's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before setting sail, the party have to work out what's going on with their food supply, before enjoying Don Rodrigo's hospitality for the night.

Considering their last visit to the Sea Gates, Ellie was surprised to see the _Salty Stallion_ moored in the harbour. Then again, with the rest of the docks practically empty, but for one or two fishing boats, she supposed it wasn’t that hard to find a spot big enough for the ship.

There were a few guards up on the main deck, and while Sylvando spoke with them, Ellie and the others went below to stow their belongings and freshen up while they had the chance. They wouldn’t be staying long, because Don Rodrigo had invited them to dine and stay the night in the villa. Once Sylvando and Dave had finished making up a list of supplies, they’d be going straight back.

Leaving Rab to show Hendrik which cabins were free for the taking, Ellie shut the door behind her and let out a glad sigh to be home. The few belongings that she hadn’t taken to Arboria were right where she’d left them, and when she flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes, the sounds of the sea outside nearly lulled her to sleep then and there.

But if they were going to make it back on time, she had to get a move on. Nice as the parade outfit Sylvando had given her was, Ellie wasn’t sure it was suitable for a dinner at the villa, nor was she willing to risk spilling something down it. So with a last few strokes of the beautiful material, she hung it alongside her dress from Gondolia, and changed into her armour once more.

She just finished tugging the last buckle into place when there was a knock at her door, Hendrik standing awkwardly on the other side. Unlike her he’d ducked into the first side room at the villa that he could find, unwilling to meet his old teacher with a ruffled collar and bright blue nose, but there was a firmness to his torso that said he’d just now put his armour on under his tunic.

He gave a brief bow, “Forgive me for interrupting, Princess, but I believe Nor-Sylvando and Dave have encountered an issue of some kind with regards to the food supply.”

“What makes you say that?” Ellie asked, even as she tried guessing what the problem could be.

“I looked in to ask about our departure tomorrow, only to find them still checking the shelves. Ordinarily I wouldn’t comment, but they looked quite concerned about something.”

“I’ll go check.” Ellie promised, stepping out and closing her door again. Remembering the conversation that she and Rab had had on the way to Puerto Valor, she called out before Hendrik had a chance to hide away. “Oh, Hendrik?”

The knight stiffened, “Yes, Princess?”

She gave him a mock stern look, “We’re not that big on titles here. You don’t have to keep calling me Princess, or Your Highness, you know. Just Ellie or Eliza will do.” Briefly, she thought about adding that he didn’t have to be so worried about talking to the others if he was concerned, but decided that was probably a conversation for another time. Maybe after they got him to drop a bit of the formality.

Looking fairly uncomfortable with either suggestion, Hendrik just gave her a brief nod before retreating back to his own cabin, leaving Ellie unsure whether to frown or laugh. Settling on a shrug, she moved to the end of the hall, waiting in the only open doorway.

Just like Hendrik had said, the captain and first mate were standing in the middle of the food store, talking in low tones. Sylvando wore a soft frown, and from the way Dave’s head was tilted, Ellie could guess his expression was similar. Passing back and forth between them was what looked like the inventory list. Watching for a few seconds, Ellie spoke up when their conversation came to a lull, “What’s wrong?”

Sylvando started a little at her voice, but waved for her to come in. She did, looking round at all the bare spots on the shelves or floor, where food had been taken out and not replaced. Most of the _Stallion’s_ stores, Dave had mentioned on the walk to the harbour, had been used up during their tour, both to feed the parade and provide support to the towns and villages they had passed through.

With that in mind, Ellie didn’t understand the problem until Dave handed her the clipboard. Just the first few lines were enough to tell her that there was less than there should be. If she didn’t know better she might’ve thought Dave had just forgotten to update the list that last time he’d been in here, but Ellie had been sailing on the _Stallion_ long enough to know that Dave was never sloppy like that. “It could just be rats, couldn’t it?” She asked, handing the clipboard back.

“Doubt it, love.” Dave tapped one of the crates, “Whoever’s been ‘elpin’ themselves took the time to tidy up after, and nothin’ down in the ‘old’s been nibbled at.”

“It sounds more like we’ve had a lodger.” Sylvando hummed. “I’ll see if Hendrik won’t mind helping me have a look around for our guest.” He caught Ellie’s wary look, “Don’t worry sweetie, chances are it’s just someone who’s fared worse than most and took the chance. I’m sure _Papi_ has room for one more if we find them.”

“I’ll ask aroun’ the other boats, too.” Dave said, replacing the inventory list on its hook, “See if they’ve noticed anyone ‘angin’ about.”

“In the meantime, I’ll take a look around, and make sure it is just food we’re missing.” Plan of action set, the three of them shared a nod before moving out.

Despite its size, the _Salty Stallion_ was fairly easy to search. Ellie and Rab split the cabins between them while Sylvando and Hendrik prowled the cargo hold below, and while she didn’t linger long in Jade’s room, or the one that Serena and Veronica had shared, Ellie checked everywhere that she could see someone hiding in. All she had to show for her efforts was a bruise when the sudden appearance of a rat had sent her jumping back and right into a shelf.

But when every board of the ship had been scrutinised, the only sign that anyone had been there at all was the missing food, and a pile of blankets Hendrik had found behind some barrels. Whoever their lodger had been, it looked like they had cleared out. So with not much choice other than to ask the harbour guards to keep a sharp eye out for anyone trying to sneak on or off the _Stallion,_ the five of them hurried back to the city, and to their promised dinner.

* * *

Hours later, the mystery was forgotten, as Ellie fought to stay awake. After a lively (and delicious) dinner, the Soldiers of Smile had finally worn themselves out, and had gone up to bed, Dave tagging along in preparation for the early start. Don Rodrigo looked like he wouldn’t be much longer, but still ushered everyone else into the parlour so he could hear their plans and give advice where it was needed.

Bedridden as he had been, Don Rodrigo had still kept an eye and ear on everything happening around Erdrea, especially when it concerned the many boats that passed through his domain. Now, he sat in a high-backed chair with a wineglass in hand, and told them all that they would have to be careful. “The ships that manage to make it here have brought troubling news of a monster patrolling the seas, attacking any vessel travelling between the kingdoms.”

Hendrik grimaced. “Another of those so-called Spectral Sentinels, no doubt.” He glanced towards Sylvando, “Would your vessel survive encountering such a creature?”

“I can’t be sure without seeing the nasty thing for myself.”

“If it’s who I’m thinking of, it’s about the size of that Tentacular from Lonalulu.” Ellie forced her yawn back down, “Less tentacles though.”

There was a definite twitch under Don Rodrigo’s moustache, right before he nodded, “That seems to match most of the sightings. There are also reports of a golden glacier blocking the way to Sniflheim’s port.” He let that sink in, taking a sip of his wine. “Whether it’s true or simply sailor’s tales I can’t say, but it is true that no ships from Sniflheim have been seen since the glacier appeared, even those Vikings. If you truly intend to travel to Arboria, then you’ll need to get round that first.”

“If only we had a way past such an obstacle.” Sylvando sighed, ruining the effect by sending a playful smile Ellie’s way, knowing they were thinking about the same thing.

They’d found another glowing spot while exploring the oceans around Sniflheim, and thinking it might lead to another mermaid city, had played the harp, only to wind right back up at the docks. Looking back, Ellie wondered what had made the mermaids need such a path, but she wasn’t about to complain.

It was a shame then when she remembered that they were missing something important. “We don’t have the harp. I didn’t have enough room in my bag. so I gave it to Jade before we went up to Yggdrasil.” Besides, she now realised, if that great beast was still patrolling the water, then there probably wasn’t much chance of getting the mermaids to help them out.

Not put out in the slightest, Sylvando just waved a hand, “Then we’ll simply have to find her. It’s not as though we weren’t going to anyway, is it?”

Remembering Jasper’s words, Ellie gave a firm nod. Until everyone was safe and accounted for, she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Do you have any news from the rest of the towns and areas on the Inner Sea?” Hendrik asked. Guessing he was thinking of the cities like Gallopolis and Gondolia, Ellie was surprised when he then asked after Octagonia instead.

“Ah, stories from there are slightly clearer. Though its fighters put up a good show, the monsters still took over, and most of them are now held captive.” Hendrik deflated slightly. “The fort itself has been transformed, to lure in more humans, though to what end I know not. In that regard, all I have been able to ascertain that the creature in charge answers directly to Mordegon.”

That was another Spectral Sentinel accounted for then. After getting the Purple Orb when they’d defeated Tyriant in Heliodor, Ellie and Hendrik had both agreed that the other Sentinels were likewise armed, bringing their number to six. With Jasper and the sea creature, that was a total of four they knew about. No doubt the other two wouldn’t be far behind.

It was, however, enough to make Ellie’s heart beat a little faster, “Do you think she’s there? Jade, I mean.”

“What makes ye say that, lass?”

She’d forgotten that Rab and Sylvando wouldn’t know about what Jasper had said in Heliodor Castle. Every time she thought about telling them, she would quickly change her mind. Hendrik though understood what she meant and turned to explain to the others, “Jasper claimed that Princess Jade was being…held by another of Mordegon’s creatures.” He looked back at her, “You think it could be the monster in charge of Octagonia?”

“If not, it’s still a lead. Travelling in that direction, we could try and find out what’s going on and maybe deal with another of Mordegon’s lackeys.” Earlier tiredness forgotten, Ellie looked towards Don Rodrigo, hoping he agreed.

He did, draining the last of his wine and setting the glass down before sitting back, “There’s also the matter of the Warrior’s Rest Inn. Apparently, everyone who spends a night there reports having the same dream.”

“Oh _Papi,_ everyone knew that already.”

“Not everybody.” Rab suddenly said. “This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

Blinking in surprise, Ellie looked at her grandfather and realised he wasn’t joking, “But everyone who stayed there had that dream. You mean you’ve never stayed there?” It wasn’t impossible, she guessed, but to have travelled for sixteen years and never encountered what Ellie had thought was a pretty well-known legend…

“Jade and I preferred to stay in Octagonia or Dundrasil itself. It’s easier to keep yer heads down in big cities or out where nobody goes.” That explained, Rab looked to Don Rodrigo, “But I’m assuming something’s happened to make the story crop up again?”

“I can’t say for certain. Without staying there for myself I could not tell you how the dream has changed, only that it has.” Don Rodrigo shrugged, “Since you are going in that direction, I thought it best to warn you.”

“Thank you, Don Rodrigo.” Ellie didn’t just mean for all the information, or the food and board. They had a plan, options in case that plan didn’t work, and they had their ship. There was still a lot of work ahead, and she knew things could still go wrong, but for the first time that didn’t seem so devastating.

Seeming to understand a little, Don Rodrigo gave her a low nod, “Think nothing of it. If this is how I can help the one who brought my son back to me, then I do so gladly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm not looking forwards to the next chapter. That's your only warning, guys.
> 
> (Also I'm beginning to think my manager either reads these or knows when I have an idea brewing because every time I do, I can't get five minutes to sit and out it down!)


	34. The Stowaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ship drew him in, and he didn't know why.

He didn’t have anywhere else to go, so he’d taken the advice of the man who’d found him, and stuck close to the harbour. The man’s reasoning was that every ship or trader passed through there at some point, so sooner or later he was bound to run into someone who knew him. It was a nice idea, and even though weeks passed and that hope slowly dwindled into nothing, he stayed.

He learnt a lot in those first few weeks at the harbour. Like how if you weren’t making them more work, then the harbour guards didn’t care that you had no name to give them, or kept your hood up. And that the best way to stay alive was to help them when ships came in, pulling on ropes and moving cargo back and forth.

The ship called the _Salty Stallion_ arrived while he was helping to unload a trader’s ship, squeezing between crates to find the ones the captain called for and pushing them to the front for the bigger men to carry. It meant he missed the colourful parade that had disembarked, but when he was done for the day there was enough gossip to imagine it. That was enough to make him curious.

Sneaking past the guards was as easy as waiting for night to fall, when the crews allowed to head into the city came stumbling back. With their eyes peeled for any potential brawls, there was nobody to stop him from creeping along to the gangway. He didn’t dare climb though, not until all the lights of Puerto Valor went out, and not a single person had boarded the _Salty Stallion._

There wasn’t much to see on the deck, and he knew lingering would be foolish, so he quickly went below. He was met by a long corridor lined with doors that was almost disappointing in how ordinary it was. But since he’d come this far, he decided he might as well go on.

The first few doors he tried were locked tightly, and when he pressed his eye to a keyhole out of curiosity, he didn’t see much more than an ordinary cabin, as well as a worryingly large collection of spears neatly lined up against one wall. Backing away with a shudder, he continued his exploration, and found that most of the other cabins were unlocked.

At one end of the ship though, he found where the parade probably gathered between ports. There was a saloon, where a few card games or books were waiting for their owners to come back, a kitchen that was almost sparkling it was so clean, and yet it was the last door that the real treasure lay behind.

Food lined maybe not every part of the walls, but enough for his mouth to start watering. Each box was neatly labelled so even he could tell what was in each one, and when he opened one to see if it was true, he almost sobbed when he saw it was.

He knew stealing was wrong, just like he knew that the few bits of bread he earnt doing chores or when another dockhand felt sorry enough to share his lunch wasn’t enough to satisfy his growling stomach. It didn’t stop him from taking a few slices of sausage, then an apple, and then another because the first was so good. Only when his stomach finally refused to take anything else did he stop, and then he slid down the wall, somehow feeling wretched and satisfied at the same time.

He paid for it, barely getting to a pot in time to waste all that lovely food.

After a few hours had gone by, he tried again, taking just enough to stop his stomach from hurting. This time he stayed full, and was soon able to think about whether or not to leave and go back to his borrowed corner of the harbour, or stay aboard.

In for a penny, he decided at last.

His first thought was to choose one of the unlocked cabins and stay there, but that wouldn’t give him much time to run if the ship’s crew suddenly came back. Instead he grabbed as many blankets as he could carry and made a bed up in the hold. It took mere seconds to fall asleep, and it lasted for only a few hours, but it was the best rest he had had since waking up on that beach a few weeks ago.

(Some part of him wondered if that was a sign that he’d done this before, yet when he pressed, he was met with the same fog as every other time he’d tried.)

He fell into a routine. Each day, he woke just as the sun was rising and crept back onto the harbour before the night shift traded with their more alert colleagues. He’d work as hard as he always had, keeping an ear out for news of the parade coming back whenever work was scarce and there was nothing to do but sit with the other hands. None of them ever asked where he vanished to at night, and he didn’t volunteer the information, all too aware that he’d get more than a slap on the wrist.

Yet, he kept going back. Even when he realised how he was pushing his luck and he’d be better off not even thinking about the ship, the _Salty Stallion_ continued to draw him in. Apart from the locked cabins, he must’ve explored every centimetre of the ship, finding little mementos here and there, like a playing card tucked into the corner of the store cupboard, or a magazine kicked almost completely under one of the sofas in the saloon.

But his biggest find was the crawlspace under the cabin deck’s floor. Well, calling it that was maybe a bit generous, given that the space was so cramped and dark, anybody but the rats who had led him there would have trouble moving around. Curious, he had gone looking for a hatch that might lead down into it so he could get a better look, and while he didn’t find a hatch, there were a few loose boards close to where he had found the magazine, with others like it in a neat pile underneath.

He found out there was enough room for someone his size, so long as they were lying down, and so long as they didn’t mind only being able to inch along, they could move about the ship. It was an interesting find, and he wondered if there was some way to ask what such a gap was used for without giving the game away, but he didn’t stay under the floor for long. It was too dark for him to see what he was doing, and he heard angry hissing at one point. Still he kept it in mind, just in case, and made up his mind to explore more during the day, instead of sneaking back to the harbour.

Naturally then, that was the same day the _Salty Stallion’s_ owners finally came back.

There were far fewer of them than he expected, and they were a quiet bunch compared to what the gossip had said, but the way they moved around the ship, and their quick realisation that the store cupboards had been raided left no room for doubt. This time though, he’d gotten a quick look at them through a porthole as they approached the ship, before he’d ducked into the crawlspace for lack of anywhere else to hide.

There were five of them. Two burly men, one in a pink mask, the other wearing a huge sword. An old man wearing a clown outfit. A jester decked in more feathers than he’d ever seen. And a girl in purple and her own feathery tail.

They all looked friendly enough, apart from the man with the sword, laughing and chatting with each other, but he still refused to take the chance. So, he stayed where he was, moving just enough to get away from the loose boards he’d put back into place, ending up under what must’ve been the store cupboard, if the conversation he could hear meant anything. And when the search commenced, there he stayed, praying that whoever owned those magazines didn’t know how far this space went, that he wouldn’t hear boards getting pulled up, and find a furious face glaring down at him.

And his prayer was answered. For now, at least.

* * *

He spent nearly the entire night under the floor. By then, he knew his bed had been found in the hold, and that the guards had been alerted to his presence. When he did emerge, just to get an idea of how doomed he was, it was to see guards positioned at the gangplank’s end, with footsteps above him saying that there were more patrolling the deck. Short of forcing himself out of a porthole and swimming away, there was nothing he could do.

So, back under the boards he went, where he slept fitfully and woke up to the sounds of people moving throughout the boat once more.

It was hard to make out much of anything outside his hiding place. The two bigger men were easy to listen for, steps heavy enough that he could feel them in the boards, and sometimes he thought he could hear the tap of a cane, which must’ve been the old man. Unless they were talking though, the jester and the girl were nearly impossible to keep track of, and when they were the ones he least wanted to find him, he stayed where he was.

The jester scared him because he was the captain, and during his time on the docks, he’d seen more than one captain deal with suspected thieves and stowaways, and never in a pleasant fashion. As different as this captain seemed to be, he didn’t want to see what that meant when it came to dishing out punishment.

The girl scared him in a different way, and he wasn’t sure why. One of the men called her Princess, but she didn’t seem anything like how a princess should (even if he had no idea what a princess was like.) She moved up and down with soft steps, unable to stand still for more than a minute. He briefly caught sight of her sometimes, through tiny cracks in the boards, carrying bags that bulged with food towards the store cupboard, or talking with the man in the mask, the two of them puzzling over what a word meant. The jester found them during one of those chats, and when she tried asking him, he just chuckled and told her it didn’t mean anything.

She didn’t believe him, and neither did he when she and the man in the mask pointed out how red the jester had gone when he’d heard the word. At that point, the jester apparently heard someone calling for him, and made a quick exit (or escape).

He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the more he did, the more confused he got about why he was so scared. And it was the uncertainty that twisted his stomach and the last bits of food he’d managed to grab which kept him under those boards, even when he noticed the ship swaying more than normal, and the brief echoes of shouted orders that were quickly followed.

They were heading out to sea, completely clueless to the fact that with every passing second, they only tightened the trap they hadn’t even known they’d set. And all he could do was pray that they hit land soon, before he had to find out if he could swim or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In slightly spooky other news, I think I was onto something last chapter. Mere hours after posting that end note, my manager texted to say that my next shift was getting cancelled. So, on that note, Hi Boss!
> 
> Also, who knew amnesiacs would be so hard to write?


	35. A Private Reading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie finally gets to meet the one who set half of this in motion.

Lying flat on her back, with a gentle breeze making the grass tickle her face and the sun warming her face just enough to be comfortable, Ellie let out a soft sigh, “I’m getting really tired of waking up in strange places.” When nobody answered her statement, she forced herself onto her feet, to try and get an idea of what was going on.

The hill she was on was sat in the middle of a lake, with sprawling green fields and distant mountains on all sides. The only sign that anyone else was here lay just down the path and across a stone bridge to another little island, where a cosy looking cottage with a water wheel had been built. It was like no place she’d ever seen before, in person or on any of the many, many maps they’d had to consult over the last few months.

_That’s because you’re focusing on the ‘where’. If I was you, I’d be more worried about the ‘how’._

“Oh good, that’s back.” Still, Ellie was become increasingly aware of a blank spot in her memories. One moment she’d been trying to convince Hendrik to spar with her, the next she’d been here with next to nothing in between. Maybe more pressing was that that realisation wasn’t raising nearly as much concern as she thought it should.

_Forget about that for now. Just think back to what you do remember._

They’d all been up on deck when a storm rolled in. Before Sylvando could steer them clear, a voice had come from the water, and the _Stallion_ was almost capsized by the monster that surfaced on the port side…

_Not just any monster._

No, it had been the one from Nautica, the one that Don Rodrigo had said was attacking every ship he could find. Alizarin, Mordegon’s servant and new wielder of the Red Orb. He’d brushed off Rab’s Pearly Gates like it was nothing…

_Keep going. You’re almost there._

Then he’d dived back under the waves, growling out a last threat before hitting the hull again, too fast for them to brace. Ellie could remember Rab shouting her name, before she hit the water and couldn’t find which way was up…

And now she was here, with the sea nowhere in sight.

_Ah well, at least you’re not a fish this time._

“That’s not helping.” Ellie hissed, looking around to try and work out where on Erdrea she was, and why she felt so calm. She waited to see if the little voice had anything to say about that, but for once it stayed quiet. Then again, if she had fallen into the ocean in the middle of a storm during a raging monster’s attack, and then woken up in this idyllic little world, there was probably a good reason she felt so relaxed.

Shaking off that thought before she could get any commentary on it, Ellie started down the nearby path towards the cottage. If there were answers to be had, they’d likely be there, and she was glad to see that her first impression had been wrong. There _was_ someone else here, a merman seated on the roof platform with a fishing pole in his hands.

Ignoring the front door for now, Ellie stood on the bank where the merman would be able to see her, cupping her hands around her mouth just in case he didn’t hear her over the water wheel, “Um…hello?” She called, “Could you tell me where we are?”

At first it looked like he hadn’t heard her, but just as she went to try again, the merman looked down. He tilted his head as if she was a particularly interesting puzzle before replying, “It’s not the afterlife, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Ellie blinked in surprise, but didn’t get a chance to ask before the merman patted the platform. “Why don’t you come up here so we can talk properly, hm? There’s a ladder against the wall you can use.”

Getting the feeling it wasn’t the type of request that she could turn down, Ellie nodded and followed his finger to the other side of the house. As promised, there was a ladder already in place, and secured enough that Ellie didn’t feel it so much as shift as she climbed up onto the roof…and almost promptly fell off again.

The merman was gone. In his place now sat a dark-haired woman in purple robs, looking as though she had been there the entire time. Wondering if they were playing some kind of joke, Ellie looked around for the merman, and was just scanning the water’s surface when the woman turned round to look at her, “And what, might I ask, are you staring at?” She pointed to the other end of the platform, “We’ll never catch anything with you just standing there. Why don’t you grab a fishing pole, and then we’ll talk?”

Again getting the feeling it was better just to do as she was told, Ellie did so. This time when she turned round, the woman had been replaced by a muscular man in a horned mask. Almost certain that there was no way for the woman to have vanished without making some noise, Ellie still took up her own position on the platform, letting her legs dangle over the edge as she cast the line, but her uncertainty made the man look up, “Alright, I agree, this appearance is slightly imposing. Let’s try again.”

The man gave himself a pat on the head, causing a small cloud of smoke to cover their entire body. When it cleared, a Heliodorian foot-soldier was revealed, but he didn’t stick around long. At the look on her face, the shapeshifter began changing almost too fast to keep up with, going from the soldier, to an older man, to a little girl, then finally to a dog standing on its hind legs, still holding the rod in its paw. The sight was so ridiculous that Ellie couldn’t help but laugh, and she could’ve sworn the dog did too before there was another puff of smoke, and the robed woman from before was sat next to her. “Yes, that particular shape has its uses. Sadly though, it’s not quite appropriate for this particular situation.”

“Who are you?” Ellie finally managed.

The woman gave an enigmatic smile, and for a split second it looked like she wouldn’t answer, “In your world, I’m known as the Seer. I believe one of your companions has mentioned me once or twice?”

Ellie nodded, feeling that forced calm waver for the first time as she thought of all the times Erik had talked about the prophecy the Seer had given him. He would’ve been better off ignoring every word.

When she looked up again, the Seer seemed to mirror her expression, her voice soft and reassuring when she next spoke. “You needn’t worry for him, Eliza. He’s safer than even he knows, and the day you two meet again is close, I promise.”

“Is that an official prophecy?”

“Yes, if you like. But it is not one that you can rush into as he did. There are some things that can only be achieved through patience. When the time comes, you will know, be it finding Erik, or catching fish.” Apparently coming to some sort of decision, the Seer set her fishing pole down and rose in one elegant move. But perhaps we should talk inside. There is much to discuss and we only have so much time.” In the space of a blink, they were both suddenly inside the cottage, the Seer gently pushing Ellie onto a stool.

The mention of time niggled at Ellie though, her chest tightening as she understood, “I’m still in the water, aren’t I?”

“You are. But not for much longer, I promise. As soon as we’re finished here, you’ll wake up among your friends, safe and sound.” The Seer crouched down in front of Ellie, looking as serious as was probably possible for her, “Now, the fact that you're here makes me wonder if you might have taken a bit of a wrong turn somewhere... Hold still for just a moment...”

She pressed her fingers to Ellie’s forehead, eyes drifting closed. It felt much the same as when she’d been standing in front of Yggdrasil’s heart, but where the Heart had lingered on each memory, the Seer gently brushed them to one side, until she found something not so easily moved, a hard knot that she seemed to inspect for barely a second before her fingers were pulling away from Ellie’s head. “Ah…so that’s it.”

“What’s it?”

“You’re worried that your friends are wrong. That the power of the Luminary isn’t sealed away as they think, but well and truly lost to you, and that without it, you stand no chance of facing Mordegon again, and that you’re just leading them to the same fate that befell poor Erdwin, and that even if you told them this, they would still insist on trying.”

Ellie’s eyes had dropped to her lap during the Seer’s realisation, but she still nodded. Hearing it said so softly was somehow worse than the cutting whispers that her own mind used, whenever she dared think about it for too long.

A finger tilted her chin upwards again. The Seer gave her a motherly smile, and reached up with her other hand, ignoring the flinch to tuck a few loose strands of Ellie’s braid behind her ear, “Now, I’m sorry to say there’s not much I can do about losing your power, but I can tell you this, and I hope you’ll listen.” She waited until Ellie nodded. “Power cannot be taken, no more than it can be touched or tasted, especially not the power of the Luminary. Yes, Erdwin fell, but it was not because his power failed him, and I assure you that his fate will certainly _not_ be yours.”

The unexpected ferocity behind the Seer’s words made Ellie blink, but the serene expression was back in place too quickly for her to ask. And maybe because she was a little scared of the answer, Ellie decided to let her have that secret.

As if in thanks for that, the Seer gave on last smile, “Your power will return, Eliza. All you have to do is remember my words, wait for that tug on the line that tells you to act, and most importantly…” She tapped Ellie on the chest, above her heart, “Have faith in this. You’ve given it to so many, and that will be repaid, I promise.”

Feeling a tightness in her chest that she could only partially blame on what was going on outside this dream, Ellie gave the Seer a slightly watery smile, “I will, promise.”

“Good. The rest will come, you’ll see.” The Seer made a point of looking at a clock that had suddenly appeared on the wall. “Now, I’m afraid our time’s almost up, so we’d better get you woken up, hadn’t we? Luminary or not, you still have an important job to do, and plenty of people waiting for you.” With that, she straightened up again, and rested her fingers back on Ellie’s forehead. “Go.” The Seer whispered, delivering a sharp flick that somehow sent Ellie flying back off the stool and into thin air, “Save the world.”


	36. A Storm in the Shelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a brief pause to fish out their Luminary, the group manage to make it to the Warrior's Rest, Rab learns what all the fuss is about...and wishes he hadn't.

If he ever found himself in a position to make those sorts of decisions again, Rab was going to make sure Dave was offered the top place in any navy he wanted. Even if he didn’t accept, Rab would find some way to thank him for what he had done. The navy was just his best guess, because while he'd never had reason to look at the man's skills at sea before, now he was absolutely certain he must've been at least somewhere in the ranks.

Not only had he managed to steer them all away from Alizarin, he’d been able to moor the _Stallion_ safely and get the skiff launched just in time to get to where Ellie was floating in a ring of light, pulling her aboard just as the light faded again, and she was little more than dead weight in his arms. After that it was slightly harder to follow things. Rab and Hendrik had done their best to row them to the beach they had briefly glimpsed, while at the back of the boat, Dave and Sylvando had laid Ellie as flat as they could, doing their best to clear her lungs of seawater. Their success was heralded by a shout as the boat tipped dangerously to one side, and when they were right again, and Dave was coming to give them a hand, Rab looked back to see Ellie half draped over the side, Sylvando rubbing her back and agreeing to whatever she was mumbling.

They made landfall on what could just about be recognised as the Zwaardrust region. By that time, they were all cold and shivering and the rain was still pounding down, so while the others pulled the skiff onto shore properly, Rab found himself on a saddle, the horse summoned by the bell Sylvando had pulled out of her bag. “Get her warm, and try and get some clean water in her.” Dave called, holding the reins while Hendrik lifted Ellie up behind him, ignoring her protests that she could do it herself, “The innkeeper’s wife will help you, it’s not the first time she’s had to do this.”

Sure enough, Rab had barely gotten through the gate before the door of the Warrior’s Rest was opening, the innkeeper’s wife barely looking before barking orders. She soon had Ellie upstairs and in a hot bath, coming downstairs with her wet things to where Rab sat by the fire, explaining what had happened to the woman’s husband. Seeing the worry on his face, she gave a stern, but kind nod, “Don’t worry, I’ve got one of the girls keeping an eye on her. Your granddaughter might feel a little rough tomorrow, but she should be fine after a good rest and some food.”

“I heard ye’ve had experience with this kind of thing.”

“Too much nowadays, I’m afraid. Plenty of people risking the seas and weather to head up to Octagonia, and it’s only gotten worse lately.”

“Even so, thank ye kindly.”

She shrugged and began hanging Ellie’s clothes in front of the fire, letting her husband get back to discussing their stay, “We’re a bit cramped at the minute, but we’ve got beds free, so long as you and your friends don’t mind sharing.”

“Ye’ll hear no complaints from us.” Rab promised. “Speaking of which, I heard a wee rumour about this place. Any truth to it?”

By the time the front door opened again, letting Hendrik and Sylvando come in from the rain, Ellie had come downstairs, in a set of borrowed clothes and a large blanket across her shoulders, and the innkeeper was just finishing, completely unaware how his last words left Rab’s blood cold, “A few of the guests swear blind that the knight’s in Drasilian armour too. It would make sense, what with the ruins just next door, so to speak, but we’ve only had the inn for a few years, and I thought that was bad enough for the poor fellow. Imagine being trapped for sixteen years!”

“Aye, imagine.” Rab echoed, thinking of all those years he and Jade had come past this spot, and never once thinking about the rumours tied to it. He caught Ellie’s worried look but waved it off, helped along by Sylvando finally escaping the innkeeper’s wife and her towels to come join them at the table, leaving Hendrik to experience her mercies alone for a minute or two. Rab blinked, noticing that someone was missing, “Where’s Dave?”

“He’s decided to stay in that cabin on the beach for the night, to keep an eye on the _Stallion._ ” Sylvando explained, just as Hendrik was able to slip away too, looking slightly frizzier than normal, but otherwise fine. “He’s also going to keep an eye out for that horrible beast, to see if he sticks around or if he’s got other places to be. Anyway, enough about that, how are you both feeling?”

Ellie yawned and her stomach growled a second later, which neatly answered that question. Sylvando shook his head in mock disbelief, while Hendrik chuckled, “And you, Lord Robert?”

“Ah, just feeling my age.” He gave Ellie a soft nudge, “Course, if this one could hold off on her next near-death experience, I’ll probably recover.” She gave a weak smile in return, but by then the innkeeper's wife had put her towels away, and came over to check on her patient, once again prescribing dinner and a nice long rest, but promising to have some medicine ready just in case.

They didn’t stay up much for much longer, just enough to swallow down a few bowlfuls of stew from the kitchen and get their room numbers from the front desk. Ellie and Rab were in the smallest room together, while Hendrik and Sylvando were in with a traveller who’d apparently been in residence awhile, and didn’t mind having fresh sources of news to interrogate. Hendrik had managed to turn it around by the time the door closed, asking about any other people he had met while staying here. He didn’t give any names, but after their talk with Don Rodrigo, Rab knew what he was fishing for, and hoped they’d get a bite.

After promising that she felt fine and there was no need to check her temperature again, Ellie fell asleep first, and for a little while, Rab just listened to her breathing, gradually relaxing as it remained steady and strong. With any luck, it would be as the innkeeper’s wife said, and she’d be mostly fine, if a little out of sorts come morning. Then, they could go and see if there was anything to the rumours that these dreams were somehow connected to Dundrasil, and put them to rest if there was.

That decided, Rab turned over and closed his eyes, completely unaware of what awaited him.

* * *

Morning came, and despite the headache he could feel forming, and the queasy feeling in his stomach, Rab looked at the empty bed opposite and went straight downstairs. The common room was still fairly quiet, and he found Ellie at the same table they’d shared the night before, alternating between her porridge and turning the pages in her book. She was back in her own clothes, and here was a far better colour to her cheeks than the night before, which eased his worry a little, but not by much.

She looked up as he came closer, asking the question with her eyes, “Aye, I had the dream.” He nodded at her book, which now that he was closer, he recognised as _Dress Like A Drasilian,_ “Doing some research?"

Ellie nodded, turning it round for him to see too. “It looked like some of the drawings in this section, but I couldn’t be sure.”

Rab didn’t need to look, but he did anyway, glad of the distraction, “Aye, it’s Drasilian alright. Looks like we’ll need to pay a visit there before we leave.” Rab would have to find some way to make sure Ellie didn’t decide to go there straight away though. At least until he could sort the mess in his head into a sort of coherent explanation, so that they wouldn’t go in blind.

Luckily, Hendrik and Sylvando weren’t much longer in coming down, and while Hendrik’s report made Rab’s heart skip a beat, it was in a good way. “One of the men we shared a room with confirmed that a young lady matching Princess Jade’s description passed through the area, intending to go to Octagonia. I’ve spoken to the innkeeper and he agrees, adding that she hasn’t come back through this way.”

“Jade comes first.” Ellie said at once, turning to him with an apologetic look, “I know you’ll want to see what’s going on with this Drasilian knight but…”

“Nay lass, you don’t have to convince me. Like ye say, Jade comes first. At least then we’ll have extra hands if things do go nasty in Dundrasil.” And Goddess knows, Eleanor would probably haunt him if he left Jade stuck with whatever monster was holding her captive for a second longer than he had to.

“Then it’s off to Octagonia we go!” Sylvando announced, making to rise before his stomach gave a low growl, “But first, breakfast!” Throwing a playful glare at Ellie, who was trying hide her giggles with her book, he took everyone’s orders and went for the kitchen.

Rab didn’t know if there would be a right time to mention that he had recognised the armour worn by the knight in their dreams. Not just because it was in a Drasilian style, but because Rab could remember looking over the designs and putting his signature to the commission as though it was yesterday. The smiths in charge of the project had promised that there would be no armour like it, something he had held them to then, and now wished that he hadn’t. It had been bad enough to think of the knight as one of his subjects, left to suffer Goddess knows what for sixteen years, because Rab had never fancied staying here, but for it to be _that_ suit of armour, and _that_ voice asking for their help...

Because now, he had to find some way of telling Ellie that if they did go investigate Dundrasil after Octagonia as he knew they would, then it would be her father that would be waiting for them, and that it was her mother’s voice who had begged on his behalf. Some way that wouldn’t distract her from whatever they’d need to do to save him.

If such a way existed, that was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was actually going to be the next one, but the chapter I had planned to publish today wasn't done, and we haven't heard from Rab in a while, so here he is :) 
> 
> Next time (Hopefully): A chapter promised a while ago, but probably not the one you're thinking of.


	37. Serena's Odyssey Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of a few allies from the past, Serena starts her own journey. 
> 
> AKA The side story we were robbed of!

It seemed foolish to admit it, after all the roads and mountains she’d walked along without issue, but the small hill that led up to Kai’s house seemed just too much to handle that night. Her mana was almost completely drained, and she’d spent the last few hours with Lonalulu’s doctor, waiting for the last crew to come in so they could patch them up. They’d stayed out long after the other boats had gone in, hoping to get a few more fish in, arriving just as the cannon lady announced sunset.

On the plus side, the latecomers had been able to get a decent sized haul in. On the downside, it was still far less than the village needed, and more than one fisherman had gone from Serena’s care right into a telling off by a panicked wife or concerned parents. Even the Kahuna came down to give them all a steely lecture about how the village wouldn’t survive if it didn’t stay together, both on land, and on sea.

Serena had listened as long as she dared, before silently packing her things up, and nodded her goodbyes to the local healer, and started for Kai’s home, where she’d been staying ever since she had washed up almost two months ago. It was only a short walk, but still long enough for her to begin thinking about how much longer it might be before the winter stores ran out, and whether or not she’d be here when they did.

Had Veronica been there, Serena supposed they would have been sailing within a week. Her sister wouldn’t have let something like a sea monster get in the way of their mission, and maybe her power would’ve inspired some confidence in the fishermen, enough at least to get them on their way.

But Serena had seen the injuries of the crews that had encountered the creature. Broken bones from being smashed into the decks or masts, dislocated joints from a safety line suddenly wrenching them back, even the odd burn where lightning had struck the ship, and almost fried the crew member that had the misfortune to be standing nearby. And for every four boats that was able to sail away in there, there was always nearly a fifth that hadn’t been so lucky, its crew either lost, or just able to hang on long enough to be fished out themselves.

When they were taking that kind of risk just to keep their people fed, Serena didn’t dare ask them to take her past the fishing zones. So, she just pressed her lips together and did her best to help, taking up a spot on the docks where the worst injuries could be treated right away, and keeping her ears peeled for any news.

And now she stood staring at the small hill, trying to will her legs to move until she was jolted from her thoughts by a hand resting on her elbow. It was the Kahuna, still looking quite grim from the earlier lecture. “Forgive me, my dear. I don’t suppose you’d mind assisting me up this hill? My knees, you see.”

“Oh! Of course.” Serena laced her arm through his, and together they started the climb.

Kai and his mother, who she’d been told to call Auntie, just like everyone else in the village, were already at the doorway when they reached the top. Judging by how Kai was hallway through sliding his shoes on, he’d been coming out to find her, and a careful sniff at the air told her why. At the sight of the Kahuna on her doorstep, Auntie went to lay a fourth setting, only for the Kahuna to stop her, “No, thank you, I’m sure my own dinner will be calling me soon. I simply wished to speak with both Serena and Kai, if that’s possible?”

“Our home is yours.” Auntie nodded, and there was a slight pause while she took the pot off the fire, and another seat was found for the Kahuna at the table. After a quick look at Serena’s face, Kai also excused himself, returning with a cup of water that he set in front of her.

With everyone sitting comfortably, all eyes went to the Kahuna, and he didn’t leave them waiting. “I have good news. Today is the third day that the crews reported that they’ve only seen the great beast’s underlings. For whatever reason, their master seems to have migrated elsewhere.” The Kahuna gave Serena a warm nod, “It seems it may finally be safe for us to help you.”

It took a second for it to sink in but when it did, Serena couldn’t hold back her smile. As soon as she’d been able to move around, she’d gone to the Kahuna to ask if he might know of any way for her to be on her way. He hadn’t made any concrete promises, given the situation, but had assured her that there might be a way, so long as she didn’t mind waiting until he was sure it was safe.

“We can’t take you all the way to Arboria, I’m afraid. No doubt whatever business the monster is attending to will be done before you have left these waters. But we can take you to Hotto, and from there you may be able to take ship in Gondolia.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! But…isn’t Hotto landlocked?”

“Not quite.” Surprisingly, it was Kai who had spoken up, and when Serena’s head turned his way, he rubbed the back of his neck, “We traded a lot with them before this happened. Usually they’d come collect the goods in their own boats, but sometimes they’d place smaller orders and one of us would take them over. They’ve got a little place built into the cliffs where they store their boats.”

“A small vessel might be overlooked by the monsters, and in the hands of someone experienced with that route, such as Kainui, you’ll be able to slip in and out before the great beast returns.”

“It could still be risky though.” Serena realised, looking at Kai, “If you don’t want to…” Well, she wasn’t sure what she’d do if Kai said no, but that didn’t mean she was about to force him into doing something he’d rather not.

Indeed, Kai seemed to be thinking it over, before looking at his mother. Auntie’s face barely changed, but whatever passed between them was enough for him to straighten up with a nod. “I remember what you and your friends did. Not just for Lonalulu, but for me and…” He trailed off, and Serena fought to avoid looking at the Kahuna, “Your friend. From what I’ve seen, you guys are our best bet at getting through this. If all I have to do is steer a boat, then I’ll do it.”

Serena gave him a thankful smile, which he hastily looked away from, clearing his throat awkwardly. She knew it was because he hated being the centre of any attention, and didn’t take any offence, even if the Kahuna was chuckling as he stood. “I’ll leave you to your dinner. If I don’t see you before you leave, Serena, thank you for all the help you’ve given our fishermen, and the best of luck in your search.”

“It was the least I could do.” Serena said, “For all the care your people showed me when I first arrived.”

The Kahuna shrugged at that, “Even so.” With that, he nodded a last farewell and stepped out into the night, and Auntie returned the pot to the fire, promising it wouldn’t be long.

* * *

The next morning, the cannonball that marked the sunrise sounded very distant, though Serena knew they couldn’t have gone that far already. Then again, she didn’t really know how far they had to go, only that Kai was confident that they’d be there before nightfall, as long as the winds were favourable. Serena did her part to make sure they were, conjuring small gusts that turned their sail in the right direction, while Kai manned the tiller.

Very little conversation passed between them. Kai was keeping his eyes out for their destination, and Serena was wrapped in her own thoughts, which drifted, as they usually did nowadays to her friends. No doubt they were off having their own grand adventures, helping everyone they met, and keeping their ears out as she had been. Maybe some of them had even managed to find each other again, and Serena would be the last to arrive as usual, so Veronica would roll her eyes and joke about how slow she was.

Her imaginings were interrupted by Kai tapping her shoulder, and pointing to a small opening in the cliffs that she might’ve missed, had she been on her own. “That’s where we’re going. Can you give us a soft wind to help guide us in?”

“I’ll try my best.” She found it took more concentration to make small breezes compared to huge gusts, but the sail slowly turned in the direction Kai was steering them, and stayed in the position they needed it to be. Kai gave her a short nod before turning forwards again, completely in control of their path.

Still, neither of them breathed until they were safely through the cave’s mouth, and into the tunnel, which drastically widened once they were a little ways in. Almost at once they knew that they were in the right place, for there were torches lining the worlds, almost burnt away, but providing enough light to guide them along into a large cavern. Here the torches were still tended, flames throwing the shadows of large sails against the walls.

It might’ve been a sinister sight, if it weren’t such a welcome one.

Kai steered them towards the first available spot they could see, jumping out to moor his boat securely.

The stairs brought them out onto the Hotto Steppe, not far from the main gates. Standing in the cave’s mouth, Serena wondered how they had never noticed this place before, but then she supposed that she had been distracted the last time, first by Veronica’s disappearance, and then whether Ellie would trust her and her sister.

How long ago that all felt now.

“We’re best off checking with the traders.” Kai announced as they went through the gates. “They’ll probably be the ones who’ll know who’ll be travelling up that way.”

Serena nodded, and let him lead the way to the forges. Hotto wasn’t as big as some of the places she had been this past year, but it was very open. If any of the others were here, either she’d see them, or they’d see her. Getting to higher ground would likely help, but she doubted that she would be so lucky so soon.

Sure enough, while Kai made a cursory examination of the stalls, Serena went over to the stairs again, surveying the village below. There was no flash of blue that might’ve been Erik, or red that could’ve been Veronica, just the townspeople going about their daily lives, dealing with their own troubles she supposed. She privately wished them luck, before going to join Kai over by one of the forges, waiting to be noticed by the men milling outside.

They didn’t have to wait long. “You were here before, with your loud little sister, and your other friends.”

Serena cringed at the greeting before turning to face the guard standing by the half-filled cart. Evidently the impression Veronica had left was more lasting than they’d first thought. “Yes, I was. And I know it might be a little late, but I hope you’ll accept my apologies for her behaviour last time, but she was rather worried you see.”

“It is no matter. But what new business is it, that brings you here?”

“Well, I know how funny this must sound quite strange considering what happened when we were here last, but I’m looking for my sister, and our other friends, but they don’t seem to be here at all.” None of the men looked moved in any way, or even sympathetic, so she went on, “So, I was rather hoping I might find somebody who’d be willing to escort me towards Gallopolis, so I can continue looking there.”

“In fact,” Kai continued, nodding at the cart, “It looks like we got here right on time.”

The guards glanced at them before moving away, conferring in low tones. Serena wished they were just a little closer so she could at least eavesdrop, but promptly dismissed the idea. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before some sort of consensus was reached, and the little huddle came apart. “To Gallopolis, in two days we shall travel, with weapons to sell.” One finally said. “If you pull your weight, you can come along with us, through the vast desert.”

“Your help will be good.” Another provided, “Tetsu has left for parade. Left us shorthanded.”

“Parade?” Serena repeated, unsure that she had heard him right. After all, what would a parade be doing out here, and especially in times like this?

“I ask you don’t ask.” The first guard groaned, though there was something slightly forced about it. “Now, how will you be helping?” He seemed to be mainly looking at her wand as he asked, one eyebrow raised, “What magic is yours?”

Feeling rather like this was a job interview, Serena straightened a little, “I’m knowledgeable in healing magic, both outside of battle and in it. I can also cast buffs, should we need them.”

“And wind magic.” Kai added. When she looked at him, he shrugged, “I bet that will come in handy, walking across the desert.”

“More than you would think.” The guard said. “Ice is good but melts too quick, and relief is short.”

Although it seemed like she’d largely won them over, the actual decision still fell to the blacksmith whose cargo they’d be escorting, and while the guard went to ask, Serena and Kai looked around for somebody to ask about getting aid for Lonalulu. By some grace, a good many of the smiths were running low on the pearls they used to decorate their creations, and Kai promised to ask the Kahuna if he could bring the pearls they usually sold to visitors to Hotto.

“Seeing as we’re not exactly swimming in tourists right now, I’m sure he’ll agree.” Kai hummed at the inn later. “Will you be alright from here? Only, I don’t want my ma yelling that I abandoned you in the middle of nowhere as soon as I had what I needed.”

Even though he was still wearing his usual frown, Serena could sense the underlying concern, and gave him a small smile, “I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous, but those soldiers know what they’re doing, and once I get to Gallopolis, there might be another convoy going to Gondolia that I can join.” She looked into her cup, “I never realised how useful my wind magic could be. Of course, I used it in battle and when we needed to sail away from storms, but I’ve always focused more on my healing spells. Offensive magic was always Veronica’s forte, not mine, you see.”

Kai hesitated at that, not that she could blame him. But he still awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, “For what it’s worth, I’d rather learn healing magic over throwing fire any day, and I can think of a few patched-up fishermen who’d agree.”

“Thank you, Kai. That means a lot.” He withdrew his hand again, and the two fell back into their companionable quiet for the rest of the night.

* * *

Two days later, when day was barely broken, they left Hotto together. Kai went as far as he could before splitting off with some town guards and supplies to go back to his boat. Even though they’d said their goodbyes already, and Serena had thanked him twice, she still offered up a prayer that he would return home safely, and that whatever shadow was still hanging over him would gradually fade. Spotting her concern, the leader of the delivery train did his best to set her at ease, “The sailor is skilled. If anyone can make it, it is Kainui.”

There were three carts. One filled with cases that she presumed were full of swords, spears and whatever else Gallopolis had ordered, and another filled with their supplies. The latter had just enough space in the back for one person to ride along, with some kind of rota in place to decide who it would be at which points of the day. Serena saw the wisdom of that when it was her turn and they were barely a mile into the desert. For a blessed hour she was able to pull the cover over her head and get out of the unforgiving sun, and when her time came to an end, she felt far more refreshed that she had previously.

One thing that struck her as odd though was that the monsters, while not entirely ignoring them, were being far less of a nuisance than she had expected them to be. Guessing that it was the size of their party that had the thinking twice, she tapped the nearest guard on the shoulder, “Do you usually bring such a large party to deliver weapons?”

The soldier gestured to the middle cart. “Special commission: the pearl sword of Prince Faris. Too precious to risk.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Exactly what Prince Faris intended to do with a pearl sword Serena couldn’t fathom. Surely it wouldn’t be helpful in battle, unless pearl had some hidden quality that she didn’t know about. Making up her mind to ask Ellie if- _when_ they next saw each other, Serena kept her questions to a minimum, mainly listening to the chatter of the guards and marvelling as always that they were able to speak in perfect form without even having to think about it.

That awe however was quickly overshadowed by surprise when they were met by the Gallopolitan contingent who would be taking the shipment to the city proper. There were the expected sand knights of course, and even though they wore full face helmets, Serena could feel the exasperation pouring off of them. Which made a lot of sense considering the head of the party was… “Prince Faris?”

Her voice interrupted the transport leader before he could even greet the prince, and though he sent her an annoyed look, he didn’t seem too bothered when attention went to her instead. Prince Faris quirked his head in confusion, but then recognition filled his eyes, and he hurried over to her. “Wait, do not tell me! It is on the very tip of my tongue!”

They did as he commanded, waiting for two minutes as he paced back and forth, trying to place her face. Eventually the awkward silence and the heat grew too much. “Serena.” She supplied, taking a step back when the Prince whirled round with an outstretched finger.

“That’s it! Serena, of course!” Looking a little too pleased with himself in her opinion, Prince Faris gestured for her to follow him away from the group, leaving his guards and the caravan to iron out the details without him. “What brings you back to Gallopolis, my friend? And alone too?”

“I’m actually looking for my friends, Your Highness.”

“You’ve missed them, I’m afraid.” Faris seemed genuinely apologetic. “Your friend, the Great Sylvando? He came through here with a large group a while back to collect some things from the circus, but since then we haven’t heard anything of him.”

“And the others?” Even though she could already guess the answer, Serena had to ask.

Sure enough, Prince Faris shook his head, “I’m sorry. His group seemed mainly comprised of those he had met on the road.”

Letting that sink in, Serena gave herself a second to feel disheartened. Once the second had passed though, she stood a little straighter and tried to find some resolve, “Then I must continue to Gondolia and see what I can find out there.”

“Indeed.” Prince Faris hummed, looking thoughtful. For a second it looked like that would be it, but then his face suddenly lit up, drawing the attention of everyone else in the group, “I have had a wonderful idea! For the service you and your friends did for Gallopolis, and the few…personal requests besides, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer to escort you to your friends myself.”

Memories of their quest to defeat the Slayer came flooding back, and Serena was shaking her head before she could stop herself, “Oh no, that’s not necessary I assure-“

“Nonsense! A knight’s word is his bond, and I give my word that you shall reach Gondolia and your friends safely.” Faris declared. “We leave at once!”

All that could be heard was the quiet chirping of the desert crickets before one of the prince’s men shifted in his saddle, “Your Highness, it may be wiser to return to the city for now.” He gestured to Serena, “Your guest is not dressed for the desert nights, and she will need a mount of her own, if we wish to move quickly.”

It was like he’d said the magic word.

Prince Faris ordered most of his men to stay with the shipment and escort them the rest of the way to Gallopolis, while he would ride ahead with Serena (and the knight whose saddle she was sharing, as the prince’s horse wasn’t used to taking two people, and certainly not because Prince Faris was still slightly wobbly in his seat.) Serena had just enough time to bid farewell to the weapon train before they were flying across the sands.

Things moved in a hurry once they were back in the city. Prince Faris took her right to the palace, where she waited awkwardly in the main hall, pretending that she wasn’t listening to every word that passed between the Sultan and his son, and that echoed off the tiles. Playing with the numerous cats still in residence helped a little there.

Privately, she doubted the Sultan would be as enthusiastic about helping her. Certainly, they had assisted his kingdom, but by now he had surely connected the dots between them and the group that had faced Jasper in Gondolia, and that Hendrik had been hunting right until Yggdrasil’s fall. And even if they now knew the truth, that she was firmly on the side of the Luminary rather than the Darkspawn, Serena couldn’t see him letting his son journey so far from home just for her sake.

When the Sultan gave his exuberant blessing for the expedition, the part of Serena’s brain that sounded like Veronica promptly reminded her of who she was dealing with here.

After that things proceeded at a slightly easier pace, which meant she was only slightly breathless by the time everything was sorted. Faiz, the knight who’d had to drop out of the last Sand National had was summoned to give his opinion on which horse she should take, the weapons were looked over to decide which ones should be taken, and the detachment of guards that would be going were hand selected by their commander.

Eventually the Sultana spotted the overwhelmed expression on Serena’s face and excused them both from the proceedings, claiming that they would sort out Serena’s wardrobe for the journey. “That will only take about an hour, but I can keep them busy for a while longer if you’d rather get some rest.” She offered, once they were out of earshot in the Sultana’s dressing room.

“That would be wonderful, Your Grace.”

“Then here, take this to the inn and they’ll have a room ready. I’ll send someone with the details when they finally settle on them.” Serena took the slip of paper she held out, spying the royal seal and flowing handwriting before she slipped it into her pocket. That done, she was treated to a relaxed hour of picking a tunic and trousers from those the tailor had ready-made, and then regaling the Sultana with a few stories of their travels before it was time to leave.

But before she went towards the inn and her promised room, Serena paid a quick visit to the big top. As expected, there was no sign of Sylvando, but the ringmaster was able to confirm that he had been through, but only for a short time. As to where he had gone afterwards, nobody knew, only that everyone was certain that he was doing just as he had promised: spreading smiles all across Erdrea.

The thought certainly brought a smile to Serena’s face, and offered her a little hope that if nothing else, she’d have at least one trail to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this was going to be one really long chapter, but it wouldn't have been done in time. As for where this falls in the timeline, I've kept that deliberately vague because I couldn't see any one space where it would fit. Rest assured it takes place after Ellie's woken up and on her way, but beyond that I have no idea.
> 
> Also, fun fact: This chapter was almost finished, and then I remembered that the people in Hotto speak in haiku. Cue one open tab with a syllable counter and a lot of tea.


	38. Queen Of The Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue mission goes slightly wrong.

It had all seemed a little too easy. The monsters who’d taken over Octagonia had been strangely hospitable, the city itself seemed to be in decent working order if practically empty of humans, and the only obstacle to them getting to Booga was to play the strangely generous slots until they had enough for a certain prize. There had to be a catch, and that thought only repeated itself when they were allowed upstairs, and were greeted, not by the Spectral Sentinel they had expected, but Jade, safe, healthy, dressed as a bunny girl…and with no intention of leaving.

“I'm Booga's now! He's the only one that matters to me! My heart, my soul, my body—they're all his!”

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Ellie crept a little closer. Jade seemed happy to let her do so, but it only took a few steps to see that it wasn’t just her outfit that had changed. Her eyes were now a soft pink, and the longer she watched, the easier it was to sense the magic behind them…a magic Ellie remembered all too well. “He’s controlling you.”

“Oh, Ellie.” She gently ruffled Ellie’s hair, and the familiar gesture now sent a shudder through her. “I know it might seem that way, but just think. Why in the world would I want to join your band of do-gooders? I'm happy here! Happy, for the first time in my life!”

“But it’s not you.”

Whatever Jade might’ve said to that remained a mystery. Instead, Hendrik pulled Ellie away to take her place, her face clear of the blustering embarrassment that had first afflicted him when Jade had come out to greet them, replaced by restrained fury. “You are a princess of Heliodor! You will behave like one! This den of iniquity is no place for a lady! You are coming with us!”

“Hendrik, look out!” Ellie’s shout came a bit too late to save Hendrik from getting kicked back. And when she brought her foot back down, Jade didn’t look remotely sorry, instead clenching her teeth in challenge.

“I'm going nowhere. And you can keep your hands to yourself. What would you know about ladies, anyway? Tell you what, why don't I give you a crash course—my foot crashing into your face!”

That had been about fifteen minutes ago, and the situation had only gone further south.

“Do we have a plan?” Hendrik asked, bracing when they all heard the clash of Jade’s spear against his shield. Risking a look over the top of hers, Ellie ducked down as soon as she was sure Jade had jumped back to her previous spot, looking for the weak point in their defence.

And defence was about all they had. None of them had been expecting their rescue mission to turn into a rematch after all.

Approaching it like any other fight was out of the question. Ellie didn’t doubt that the four of them could eventually overwhelm Jade, and had this been any other fight, they would’ve done just that. But this was Jade, and as the fight drew on, Ellie knew that she wasn’t the only one holding back, scared that they might actually hurt her.

Unfortunately for them, _Jade_ had no such fears, and it was about all they could do to keep her from causing any serious damage.

To keep it that way, Rab was staying way back, offering healing or a few of his weaker offensive spells as needed, while the others tried to keep her at bay with their shields, only causing scratch damage when they did risk lunging forwards.

Chewing on the question, Ellie turned to Sylvando, after jabbing her sword out when Jade crept a little too close for comfort. “Do you think you could snap her out of it like you did with Dora?”

“I’ve been trying, sweetie, but she’s too fast. We need to keep her still.”

“How are we supposed to do that?”

“If I distract her, you might be able to grab her from behind.” Hendrik’s face made it clear that he wasn’t entirely looking forwards to testing this plan, but he gave a grave nod. Swallowing back her own nerves, Ellie looked over her shoulder to where Rab was waiting for his orders, “We’re going to need something flashy to keep her attention.”

“Aye, I can handle that!”

Taking a deep breath, Ellie nodded, mostly to herself, then charged forwards, letting her shield fall and making a slash at Jade’s spear. The gap closed behind her, and she could hear Rab starting to prepare whatever spell he was going to use, but Ellie still moved further away, luring Jade back to the open middle, and doing her best to keep attention on her, until there was a sharp blast of harmless light between them. Ellie managed to see it in time to close her eyes, but Jade had been staring right into it. With a curse, she pulled away, keeping her spear held high even as she tried to clear her vision, and get back into the fight. 

Behind her, Hendrik set both weapon and shield down, carefully so he wouldn’t alert her, before striding in. Within seconds, Jade was pulled clean off the ground, both arms pinned to her sides, Hendrik absorbing every thrash she gave without so much as blinking. He even managed to yank her spear out of her grip somehow, tossing the weapon far to the side where, with any luck, she wouldn’t be able to retrieve it.

For a second, it looked like their plan had worked, and Sylvando was already running in, ready to snap Jade out of it, but then their captive fell limp for just long enough to collect herself. “I told you to keep your hands to yourself!” Jade threw her head back, smashing against Hendrik’s chin. The knight released a loud grunt, but managed to keep his grip…for another three seconds, before Jade’s heel found its mark. Rab, Sylvando and a few watching monsters winced in sympathy as Hendrik crumbled.

They didn’t have time to try again. Already, Jade was blinking furiously, trying to clear the light that had blinded her. Rab could cast the spell again and they might stand a chance, but they’d lost the element of surprise. Well, Hendrik had at any rate. 

Knowing that they didn’t have much time before the dazzle spell wore off, Ellie didn’t think before dropping her sword and shield. Part of her knew that this plan was crazy, but she was hoping that it was just crazy enough to work, before running back in.

She didn’t grab Jade’s arm or leg, knowing Jade would be able to use that to her advantage somehow. Instead, just as she was reaching out, she remembered one of the first things Jade had ever said to her, and as her fingers closed around the long, black tail of hair, Ellie couldn’t help but think that it was about time she paid her big sister back for that trick.

Jade didn’t notice at first. Her attention was still on Hendrik, who was just starting to straighten, and before she could lunge in again, Ellie twisted the hair around her fingers and pulled with all her strength. A scream of outrage was the only sign that it had worked, but then Jade was trying to pull free, shouting all the while.

Realising that Jade would happily rip all her hair out if it meant getting free, Ellie rammed into her with her shoulder, holding on as they were both sent sprawling to the floor. Before the other girl could recover, Ellie hurried to sit on her legs, while her free hand struggled to pin the arms now flaying blindly, intent on causing at least some damage.

“Will one of you hit her?!” Ellie demanded, nearly flying to one side as Jade gave a particularly strong lurch to one side. A second later she swung to the other side, which turned out to be a bad idea, given that while she managed to dislodge Ellie, her hair was still tightly wrapped around Ellie’s fingers. In the time it took Jade to turn around and start moving towards Ellie, Sylvando had managed to get close enough to sober her up, his hand connecting with a solid crack. “Thank you.”

Once she was certain Jade wasn’t faking, Ellie slowly uncurled her fist and pulled her hand away. A few long strands of black hair came with it, and she cringed, staring at the others as they came closer, “She’s going to kill me.”

“I’m sure she’ll understand the necessity of such an action.” Hendrik tried to assure. He reached a hand out to her that Ellie took, letting him pull her back to her feet. Her sword and shield were soon back in her hands, though she hoped they wouldn’t be needed too soon.

“Do ye think it worked?” Rab asked. He was mainly aiming the question at Sylvando, who was turning Jade back over so they could check her over. Still out for the count, she didn’t even stir when Sylvando gently lifted one of her eyelids, before giving a smiling nod to them all.

Everyone took a breath, forgetting for a second that they were still in the heart of enemy territory, surrounded by monsters and now weary from fighting and sheer relief. That fact quickly made itself known though, and for a second all that could be heard was a ground shaking bellow before the monster in charge of the casino made himself known by storming out from wherever he’d been hiding. “How dare you! You’ve hurt my pretty kitty!”

“You’re the one who did that to her?” Ellie asked, feeling nothing but pure fury, “You’re the one who put her in that outfit and made her lure innocent people up here?”

The huge fiend that she presumed to be the Booga Jade had mentioned earlier drew himself up straight. He was proud Ellie realised, proud of what he had done. “That’s right, and I don’t appreciate you undoing all my hard work! Do you think it was easy turning a lovely girl like her into a horrible monster?”

“You can turn humans into monsters?” Sylvando glanced at the crowd still watching them, one hand to his mouth in horror. “D-Does that mean...? All the others, are they...?”

“Of course! Jade wasn't my first, you know—all my lovely girls used to be human! And the boys too! There's nothing like making a monster out of a smug human who thinks they've beaten the house! That soon wipes the smile off their faces, let me tell you!”

“You’re despicable.” The words were out before Ellie could stop them, not that she would’ve.

“Maybe. But now you see we have a bit of a problem here. I’m afraid my casino has a zero-tolerance policy towards troublemakers. Now usually, I’d just throw you out, but I’d much rather beat you to a pulp and get back to my pretty Jade!”

“You’re welcome to try, fiend!” Hendrik declared, planting himself firmly between Jade and Booga. Without needing to think about it, Ellie moved to stand next to him, as did Rab and Sylvando after they’d taken a few seconds to get Jade out of the line of fire.

She couldn’t speak for everyone, but Ellie had a feeling she was going to enjoy this.

* * *

Around ten minutes later, four very tired combatants stood at the edge of what used to be Octagonia’s fighting ring, watching the match in progress. Jade, very much awake and very much herself, was lodging a list of her complaints regarding her employment with Booga, and none of them had the heart to intervene.

At least, that had been the plan. Then Jade had just…kept going. And going. And going.

“Should…should we help?”

“I think she has it handled, lad.”

“I wasn’t talking about Princess Jade, Lord Robert.”

With one last kick, something came flying loose, bouncing once before rolling to a stop at Ellie’s feet. Glad of the excuse to look away, Ellie crouched down and scooped the Green Orb into her bag. “Another one down.” She reported as she straightened, just as Jade finally left Booga alone long enough for him to vanish in the usual puff of smoke. “Next stop, Dundrasil.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, I'm so sorry this took so long to get out but work has been nothing short of crazy. It's also impacted my writing schedule for the next few chapters so I honestly don't have a clue when they'll be out. 
> 
> Thank you all for your patience and as always, please keep yourselves safe!


	39. No Right Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls' night in gets interrupted by Rab running out of time to tell the truth.

“How do you know so many hairstyles?” Ellie asked, as Jade pulled out the slides holding the younger girl’s hair in a complicated knot at the back of her head before reaching for the hairbrush again. The two of them were sitting on one of the beds in their room, Ellie holding a mirror in her lap while Jade was behind her, armed with a brush and a few slides and ties they’d found rattling in the bottom of Ellie’s bag.

They’d done this a few times before while travelling, when Jade was too tired to train, or Ellie grounded from the forge. Sometimes the others would join in, Serena or Veronica usually, but sometimes Sylvando would ask if Jade could show him how she had done a style, or volunteer to show off his own knowledge. They’d even roped Erik in once, after the diving contest when his hair lay completely flat and presented too tempting a target.

Now, it was a nice distraction, so she didn’t have to think about the last few months, or the days ahead of them.

Her own hair in a thick braid as part of Ellie’s apology for how she’d gotten Jade to the ground during their fight, Jade set about doing the same for the younger girl, for when they eventually felt tired enough to sleep through the celebrations going on outside.

“Same as anything, with practise.” Jade set the last slide on the bedside table and began brushing Ellie’s hair out, smiling at the memories. “Though, I learnt this particular skill when I was still living in Heliodor. Whenever Lady Eleanor visited, she would let me watch her get ready for balls and feasts, and she or her maid would show me how they did certain styles.” Finished with the brush, she began dividing the strands. “I was never as skilled as they were, but I do recall that Sir Hendrik and Jasper would sometimes be…convinced to model my handiwork during parades and the like.”

“You didn’t.”

“I did. With giant bows too. Let’s see, I think Jasper usually had the bright pink ribbon and Hendrik…I can’t remember which, but it was either one with green checks or blue spots.”

Ellie looked over her shoulder as best she could, trying to work out if Jade was telling the truth. Managing to keep a straight face for all of a second before the mental image hit her too, Jade suddenly spluttered, and then Ellie was gone too, the pair of them laughing so hard it hurt. Whenever one of them started to slow down, they’d look at the other and it would all start again.

Not that Jade really minded. It felt good to laugh properly again. To laugh because she genuinely wanted to, and not because Booga thought she should.

A knock at the door finally broke the spell, giving Jade something to think about that wasn’t Ellie’s infectious giggling. Abandoning her now slightly haphazard efforts, Jade went to answer it, still smiling when she opened the door, and found Rab on the other side, sober as a judge.

She’d noticed during their supper that something seemed to be bothering Rab. After he finished telling her about the new training regime Grand Master Pang had put him through, he’d kept strangely quiet throughout the rest of the story, leaving Ellie and Sylvando to take over. Even Hendrik was more talkative, adding the odd comment here or there. Jade hadn’t pressed, wondering if he was just tired (and she was maybe a little distracted by seeing Hendrik slowly relaxing in their company), but now his presence at their door only confirmed her suspicions, especially when he said he needed to speak to them about something important.

Something in his tone made the laugh in Jade’s throat fade, and even Ellie, who’d been on the verge of hiccups before now fell silent before asking without any trace of mirth, “Is it about Dundrasil?”

“Aye. Jade lass, ye may want to sit down.” Tempting as it was to refuse, Jade sat back on the bed, feeling Ellie creep a little closer. Rab, she couldn’t help but note, remained standing, if leaning a little heavily against the other bedpost. But when he spoke, he was as steady as always, refusing to duck Ellie’s curious gaze. “I didnae tell ye the whole truth back at the Warrior’s Rest. I wanted to, I swear, but I couldnae find the right words to use.” He was still stalling now, Jade knew, hoping that the words would appear now that they had to. But they didn’t, and he finally gave in to the inevitable. “I know who the knight is, and who was appealing for our help.”

And just like that, Jade knew too, even as she shook her head and prayed harder than she ever had before that she was reading this all wrong, that Rab wasn’t about to say what she knew he was.

Her prayer was answered because it wasn’t _Rab_ who said it. Because Jade wasn’t the only one who knew that if Rab felt the need to reveal this in private, then it could only mean one thing. “It’s my parents, isn’t it? My birth parents, I mean.”

Rab gave a slow nod, “Aye it is.”

“I don’t understand.” Voice small, it was a very pale Ellie that looked back at forth at her and Rab, waiting for one of them to explain. When none came, she visibly tried to collect herself again, “We sent them back to Yggdrasil, didn’t we? That’s what the ritual was for.”

“A soul can only return if they’re ready and able.” Rab explained, “From the sounds of things, Irwin wasn’t able, and Eleanor wouldn’t go without him.” While that just opened the question of what precisely was keeping him from joining his wife in the afterlife, Jade kept her question to herself. That wasn’t the problem here, and they’d be seeing for themselves soon anyway. “I just didnae want you going in there without knowing, lass. We’ve had too many surprises as it is.”

As one of those surprises, Jade rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. The action caused a soft snort from next to her, and when she looked, there was the barest ghost of a smile on Ellie’s face. “Thanks for telling us, Rab. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as we think.”

It was a weak invitation for someone to change the subject, and while Jade knew that Ellie wasn't saying everything she wanted to, she didn't push, instead saying “That would be a pleasant change. The question still remains though, exactly what do we need to do to help him find peace?”

“He mentioned wanting to go back to a certain day. I think we all know when he means.”

“What happened to him when Dundrasil fell?” Ellie asked, and Rab deflected the question by looking at Jade with an apologetic grimace.

She hadn’t been able to tell him much right after they’d escaped, and as the years had passed and she’d been able to recall more than Queen Eleanor’s hand around hers tugging her along, Rab hadn’t asked her to do so. “King Irwin told Lady Eleanor and I to run while he took care of some monsters chasing us through the tunnels. He promised to catch up, but I suppose there were just too many.”

“That sounds about right. Irwin wouldnae have rested until every last beast attacking the place was dead, or everyone was out. Once he was certain his family were safe, he probably intended to hold the line until one of those came true.”

“He sounds like a great man.” Ellie said, a little wistfully.

“He was. Did I ever tell ye the story of how he fought off an entire horde to keep Eleanor safe, before I had him assigned to her guard?”

“No, you haven’t. You don’t talk about him that much at all really.” Ellie pointed out, and while she hadn’t made it an accusation, Jade still saw Rab flinch a bit. It was true though, she realised. Most of the stories they had shared with Ellie had been about her mother, with Irwin usually off doing his duty as knight or king. With that thought came another, slightly more unsettling one.

Whatever happened tomorrow, those would be the only memories Ellie would ever have of her parents. There wasn’t anything they could do to change that, but if sharing their own stories of Irwin would make it a little easier to bear, then Jade would happily talk until morning came. Ellie should know the man, not just his tortured spirit.

Catching Rab’s eye, she knew that he had come to the same conclusion, and as he launched into the epic tale of how the then Sir Irwin had rescued the beautiful Princess Eleanor, and his modesty in the face of King Robert’s thanks, Jade slowly crept from the room, knocking on the door across the hall. She knew Hendrik would likely have a few stories of his own, and if they left Sylvando out of a night of storytelling, they’d never hear the end of it.

As the city of Octagonia celebrated their recent victory, their merry band prepared themselves for the mission ahead, even if it was in a slightly different manner than their usual herb picking or weapon preparations. Not that Jade was complaining.

This way was a lot better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny confession to make: I'm stalling as much as Rab is. What comes next is somehow both one of my favourite and least favourite parts of the game, and I'm nervous of how writing it will go.
> 
> As always, hope you and yours are all doing well and continue to do so! :D


	40. Into the Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party find the spectre haunting Dundrasil and their dreams. As always, rescuing him doesn't go as well as everyone would like.

Aside from one stop, they made good time, and the stop had been less a break than it had been to try and solve the mystery of just how a cluster of ruins had gotten into the lake they had been going past. The architectural style was like nothing Ellie or any of the others had seen before, and while there wasn’t much that looked safe to explore, there was a huge mural along one of the walls that they spent a little while puzzling over from the safety of the bank.

It featured several symbols that none of them were able to make sense of from that distance, and tiny little creatures that Jade spent the next hour cooing over. “Do you think they’re real?” She asked, once they were back on dry land and moving again.

“If they are, I wonder why we’ve never heard of them.” Pulling his rucksack a little higher, Rab glanced back towards the ruins, “Those buildings though, I cannae think where they came from. It’s like they’ve just dropped out of the sky.”

“No doubt we’ll find out if we were meant to.” Ellie mused, before brightening up, “Maybe we should ask the Tockles the next time we’re helping them out.” She missed the strange look Hendrik sent her. “If anyone knows, it would be them.”

Sylvando put a finger on his chin, “We should probably visit soon. I hope they’re alright.”

“They are. They moved the entrance to Tickington right next to where I surfaced and Tickle said everything’s still working as normal.”

“Forgive me, but I must ask.” Hendrik said out of nowhere, “What is a Tockle?” His tone made the question funnier than it should’ve been, and Jade and Ellie did their best not to look in each other’s direction.

Trying to explain the oddities of Tickington and its residents to Hendrik took up the larger part of the journey from there. In spite of that, Hendrik still didn’t look that convinced that they all hadn’t gone completely crazy, and Ellie made a mental note to zoom back to Tickington at some point and let him see for himself.

Once they were within sight of Dundrasil though, they were back to business.

If Ellie had thought the city was in a sorry state the last time she had seen it, it was nothing compared to how it looked now. At least one more building had collapsed, and the lazing dragons from their last visit had been replaced by their much angrier cousins while small fires licked every surface they could. The sight was enough to make Rab suck in a breath when they first entered, but after that her grandfather was all focus, leading the way through the rubble and to the well that connected to the castle so they wouldn’t be spotted.

Things weren’t much better there, but aside from a petrified slime who turned tail at the sight of them, they were the only ones up there. With Rab directing them, they picked their way through the newer piles of rubble, before coming to a huge pile of stones, that according to his mental map, were covering up the opening to the royal escape tunnel.

Shifting the rocks took a while, with everyone taking turns to roll away what they could, but soon enough of the opening was exposed for them to stare down into the darkness, coughing at the stale air. From there it was just a simple matter of making the opening bigger.

“I havenae been down here since after the fall.” Rab explained, taking a few steps down before turning back, “Fancy giving us a wee bit of light, Ellie?” He pointed at a spot on the wall, that after a bit of squinting, Ellie was able to make out as a burnt-out brazier. Calling a frizz spell to her fingers, she flicked the flame towards what little fuel was still in the bottom, bringing a small amount of light into the stairwell before it sputtered out again. “Ah well. Torches it is.” As if by magic, Sylvando produced a few good size branches with oil-soaked material already wrapped around the heads.

“I shall go first.” Hendrik offered, moving past Rab with his sword and shield ready. Pulling a face behind his back, Jade took one of the torches and after holding it out for Ellie to light and gently squeezing her shoulder, started after the knight. Using his firebreathing to light the two remaining torches before presenting Ellie with one like it was a flower, Sylvando gestured for her and Rab to go next, one hand on his own sword ready. Biting back her smile, she followed Jade’s back before it disappeared into the darkness.

They descended in near silence, and Ellie knew they were bracing themselves for who or whatever they found down this passage, because she was doing the same thing. Occasionally the lull was broken by Jade or Hendrik warning them of an uneven step or a gap in the rail, usually right after they found it, but past that, there was nothing.

Until… “Do you feel that too?” Hendrik suddenly asked, after reaching the bottom and going forwards a few steps. “That strange…?”

“I thought it was just me.” Jade responded, sounding a little nervous. Frowning, Ellie went to say that she couldn’t feel anything, but then she reached the bottom step and felt something almost slam into her. A grunt from behind said Rab and Sylvando had been similarly affected.

It didn’t hurt or make it any harder to breath than the dust had, but it was _there,_ impossible to ignore and familiar in a way that Ellie didn’t want to give a voice to. They tried though, dropping back into the quiet of before as if it could banish the feeling somehow. Or maybe, Ellie thought, they were too busy doing the same as she was, pushing back against the wave of memory threatening to wash her away.

Her father had sixteen years, being tortured by this same feeling of grief, Ellie reminded herself. She could stand a few hours.

Instead of getting better, the further they went, the heavier the air seemed to get, seeming to push down on Ellie’s lungs until it came to a head as they entered a large, empty room. Unsure why, Ellie followed the feeling, until she found herself stopping. Not in the centre of the room like she’d expected, but an almost random spot on the floor. “It’s different here,” She reported, looking around for any sign as to why that was. “I…I can’t feel anything at all.”

Her voice echoed louder than she expected, and when she opened her eyes from her wince, it was to see Rab was pale, and Hendrik, when he turned to see why they had stopped, turned much the same shade despite the warm glow from Jade’s torch. They weren’t looking at her though, they were looking at her feet. Despite knowing it probably wasn’t for a good reason, Ellie looked down.

There was a dark stain on the stone floor, and she was standing smack bang in the middle of it. The years had faded it enough that it was barely visible, even when Ellie held her torch right over it, but all the same it was there, and she didn’t need Sylvando’s sharp breath to realise what it was. Swallowing back her shudder, Ellie stepped back and moved the light away, letting the mark fade back into the shadows, where it belonged.

* * *

They found King Irwin further in, where the feeling of loss and despair was strongest. Barely a shade of a man, but still strong enough to have out up a decent fight when their words had failed to get through to him. Now he was kneeling and still the emotion seemed to flow from every crack in his armour, deafening him to the gentle echo of her mother’s voice. “I beg of you... Help him...Free him from his nightmare...Shine the light of hope into the darkness of his despair...”

They were still no clearer on just what they were supposed to do. So the others dispersed to look around to see if there was any kind of clue elsewhere in the chamber, while Ellie, at Rab’s suggestion and a gentle push from a worryingly quiet Sylvando, Ellie was kneeling in front of Irwin, trying to make some sense out of his ramblings.

If nothing else, it would give them a bit of warning if he did lash out again.

By now it was a little easier to bear the weight on her heart, as long as she reminded herself that it wasn’t really hers. But it was Irwin’s, and as he carried on repeating the same things over and over again, Ellie decided to change to the second tactic Sylvando had suggested. “King Irwin? Father? Can you hear me?”

“Such pain... Such...despair... You took my Eleanor... My Eliza... You destroyed everything...! I will never forgive you...!”

“No, no!” She grabbed onto the sides of his helmet, hoping that even if he couldn’t hear her, he would still be able to feel her. “It’s me, Eliza! Mother sent us here to rescue you!”

“I…I will not be tricked!” Irwin snapped, fighting her grip. Ellie just clung on, wondering if this counted as progress. She decided to say it did.

“No, I survived.” Ellie whispered, feeling a tear run down her cheek. “I survived thanks to you. Now it’s my turn to help you. But I need you to tell me _how._ ”

“No…no…This is a lie…You’re lying…My Eliza…My Eleanor…They’re _gone_ …” Another tear joined the first, pulled free by how broken Irwin’s voice became with that single word.

He carried on in that vein, and Ellie leaned closer to try and make some of it out, hoping for some clue as to how they could help him, when his head suddenly snapped upwards again. The second her eyes landed on the vortex that had somehow replaced his face, everything else seemed to slip away. The voices of the others faded into the distance, little more than a hum that was too much effort for her sluggish mind to pay attention to.

There was another voice too, more of a growl really. It was barely understandable past the trance Ellie could feel herself slipping into, and she had the vaguest notion that she should be fighting this, or at least telling the others what was happening, but the colours inside Irwin’s helmet continued to swirl, pulling her deeper…deeper…

“What the-Ellie!”

Down.


	41. Serena's Odyssey Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serena's travels end with friends she didn't even know she'd made.

Prince Faris’ selected men were among the best, he assured, and their horses swift enough to outpace any monster that might show their face. Even when they were caught and forced into fighting, Serena found herself only having to use the lightest of her spells on them. Which was really just as well, considering that Prince Faris wasn’t paying one ounce of attention to where they were going. More than once he managed to head off in a different direction entirely, which was quite an achievement, since as far as Serena could tell, they were heading in a straight line.

And he simply didn’t stop talking. He voiced every single thought that came into his mind, no matter how small, and Serena found herself doing little more than nodding along politely, and wondering how he was able to do so much talking without pausing to drink.

So, when he said it might be worth asking after Sylvando at Puerto Valor of all places, it took Serena a moment to realise what he’d said. “What makes you say that?”

“Anyone who knows the Knight’s Pledge and can fight as he did had to have trained somewhere. Don Rodrigo would probably know something that might help you find him.” It was unusually sage advice, and Serena was left blinking, and almost relieved when a second later, he suggested they try and race to the Laguna, so he could show off his vastly improved riding skills.

While their guards split up, half staying with her, the other half running after their wayward prince, Serena turned the idea over in her head. She had to admit, it had merit, especially if she got to Puerto Valor and there was no sign of her friends. But…the way Sylvando had actively avoided the city, and how he had done his best to stay out of sight until they were well through the Sea Gates, well surely there had to be a reason for that? Was she really prepared to go digging into his life on the slightest chance, when he might’ve honed his skills exactly as he had told them, by learning from those he met on the road?

Weighing the pros and cons kept her occupied though most of the Laguna, and she only paused to lift her wand every now and then when one of the escort needed healing. In the end, the gates of Gondolia came into view, and she decided that she would explore that avenue only if there was no other option, and once she had made certain that she wouldn’t be putting Sylvando in danger by prying.

They dismounted in the tunnel, leaving the horses in the capable hands of the gate guards, and as they approached the inner gate, Serena was struck by how quiet it was. She had expected that it wouldn’t be as lively as last time, when the Signor Universo contest had been in full swing, but it was still a surprise to see the Gondolians going about their business without any of the high spirits Serena had come to associate them with.

If the quiet bothered Prince Faris as it did her, he didn’t show it. Intent on his mission, he asked the first person they saw where the Doge could be found, and after being pointed towards the stage, immediately set off. Thanks to his speed and Serena’s surprise at said speed, when she and the guards caught up, he’d managed to pull the Doge away from the crowd of sailors surrounding whoever was giving a speech (Wait was that a merman? No, focus!), and had already launched into his sales pitch.

Whenever Prince Faris took a breath, Serena hastily relayed the relevant parts of the story. To his credit, the Doge seemed to be listening carefully, only flicking his eyes to the prince every now and then when his tales of bravery were too loud to politely ignore.

“So, you see, I was rather hoping you might be able to help me get to Puerto Valor, so that I can make inquiries there, or take ship once more.” Serena finished, hands behind her back to hide how she was wringing them. Considering how things had gone last time, she wouldn’t blame the Doge for turning her down.

The Doge took a glance at her face before grinning at them both, “But of course! After how you helped Placido, how could I possibly turn you away? Come, we shall discuss the details over dinner.”

“Thank you, kind sir. It has been some time since we were able to enjoy your fabled hospitality, and I look forwards to the reprieve.” Prince Faris threw Serena a look that she supposed was probably meant to be reassuring, “And then tomorrow, we shall set out once more!”

It wasn’t that Serena didn’t want his company, or that she was ungrateful for his assistance in getting this far, but…well she’d be lying if she was looking forwards to another few weeks of his chatter. “That’s a generous offer, Your Highness, but there’s no need. You’ve already put yourself through so much trouble.”

“No, Miss Serena. I have promised to see you and your friends together again, and a knight’s word is his bond!”

“Quite right!” The Doge agreed, “I am sure any of my boats would be honoured to have an esteemed guest such as Your Highness aboard.”

Serena thought she saw Prince Faris turn pale, but quickly dismissed the idea, even as he shakily asked “Boats?”

“But of course! If speed is truly of the essence, then we cannot waste another second.” The Doge turned to Serena, “The seas are quite rough at present, but as long as you don’t mind bouncing around a bit, we’ll have you both to Puerto Valor before the week’s out. You have my word!”

“Uh…” Prince Faris looked rapidly between her, the Doge and the canal next to them, and this time, Serena was quite certain that he was definitely turning green, “My-my apologies, Miss Serena, but I fear I may not be able to accompany you after all. You see…” He trailed off, clearly scrambling for an excuse.

Luckily, his guards rescued him once more. “The Sultan requires Prince Faris to lead an expedition next week, in the hopes we can discover the source of the larger monster numbers. Just as a knight’s word is his bond, his kingdom is his master.”

“Precisely! Again, a thousand apologies, and all my wishes for your search!” With that, Prince Faris hastily bowed to the Doge, nodded to Serena and whirled on his heel, as if convinced they were about to bundle him into a boat bound for Puerto Valor then and there. A few guards were quick to follow the escapee, but one hovered, looking to Serena with a half shrug.

“The Prince has many virtues.” He murmured, “But a stomach for sailing is not one of them.” With that knowledge shared, he turned to join his comrades in running after their charge, who was already halfway to the gates. Within seconds they were gone, leaving some very confused townspeople in their wake.

“I’m afraid it feels rather rude to thank you for putting Prince Faris off of joining us.” Serena confided, relaxing when the Doge just let out a belly laugh, “But thank you, all the same.”

“Not a worry. I’ve had the pleasure of Faris’ company before, and so I know that he is best in small doses. Though how he expected to get you to Puerto Valor without sailing I don’t know.” He gestured for her to go ahead, and followed after her at a leisurely place, “Still, he seems to have matured somewhat. I suppose we can thank you and your friends for that, too?”

“We might’ve had a hand in it.” It drew another laugh from the Doge, but his words had reminded Serena of something, “Speaking of my friends, the Prince mentioned that one of them, Sylvando, might’ve passed through here recently? Do you know anything about that?”

“Ah, I know who you mean. Yes, he caused quite a stir in town, then again when he came back at the head of that parade.” The Doge shook his head, but there was a certain fondness behind it, “He’s determined to get the world smiling again, and I won’t lie, he’s certainly succeeding.”

“That sounds like Sylvando alright. I don’t suppose you’ve had word of any others in my party? Or could they had joined a ship without you knowing?”

It was a slim hope, but Serena clung to it until the Doge gave a mournful shake of his head. “Ah, there I’m afraid I told a small mistruth. You see, while a few of my captains are certain they’ve worked out a route, they’re not prepared to risk any more lives until they’re certain. As for your jester friend, I’m afraid he didn’t say where he was taking his new crew. They could be anywhere by now.”

Having expected that, Serena tried her best to remain optimistic, “Well then, at least Prince Faris was able to provide me with one avenue to explore, and I’m in a much better position to get news of my friends here than in Lonalulu.”

Appearing to understand, the Doge gave her a small smile as they turned onto his street. “It may take some time before the captains feel confident enough to take passengers again, but as soon as word comes, I’ll see you aboard personally. For now, though, you’d be doing me a great honour by joining myself and my family for dinner.” The Doge threw Serena a wink, “I can think of one young man in particular who’ll be excited to see you, and hear any stories you might have from after you left us.”

Sure enough, when they arrived at the Doge’s home, Placido eagerly came to greet Serena, thanking her all over again for restoring his voice. For a few blissful hours, she was able to forget that she was only slightly closer to her friends than she had been, and telling little Placido all about their trips across the Inner Sea and beyond neatly distracted her from the fact that even once she set sail, her journey would be far from over.

The Doge was able to convince the local healer to let her use their spare room in exchange for her assistance during the day. In the evenings, she would usually drift over to the docks, listening for any hint of the _Salty Stallion,_ and pushing down the part of her that wanted to demand anybody take her across the sea, even if it sounded a little like Veronica.

And as promised, when a few weeks had gone by, and the streets were full of chatter that a ship was willing to take passengers as well as cargo, the Doge himself took her along to the harbour, leading her through the mess of trade ships and crates to stand before a boat that wasn’t quite the size of the _Salty Stallion,_ with a small crowd already gathering at the base of the gangplank, “Another passenger for you, captain!” He called to the man checking over the cargo waiting to be placed on board.

The captain didn’t look up from his manifest as he came over, ticking something off with quite a bit of force, “I’ve already taken on more than I’d care to, Doge. We’ve had good fortune so far, and I don’t want to test that.” The captain finally looked up, and Serena saw his eyes flicked to her belt before coming to her, “Not without good reason, anyway.”

Feeling a hint of deja-vu, Serena straightened up and patted the wand tucked at her waist, “I know how to cast any healing spell you might need on the sea, buffing magic included, and should we need to sail away in a hurry, I’ll be able to fill your sails with wind magic.” When he didn’t look too convinced, she pulled her wand out and aimed towards said sails.

She might’ve put a bit too much force into the spell if the panicked shouts coming from the deck were anything to go by, as the sails billowed and the rigging swung from side to side, but hen she went to apologise, the captain was giving her an appraising look before nodding. “You’ll have to share a cabin with some of the other girls, and it’ll probably be in a hammock.”

“I can sleep anywhere.” Serena breathed, feeling the knot in her stomach unwind. Veronica had certainly teased her about it enough times. And really, when she was shown where she’d be sleeping, she saw no reason to complain. It was nowhere near the cabin she and Veronica shared aboard the _Salty Stallion,_ but then that was never going to be a fair comparison, and the hammock wasn’t so bad once she’d found a few extra blankets to pad it out.

The two girls she was in with were welcoming enough, letting her stow her things with theirs, and giving her time alone when she needed it. They were obviously curious about her, and why she’d come to the docks accompanied by the Doge of all people, but they didn’t press, and for that Serena was thankful enough to overlook their quiet snoring, or the growing bruise on her hip when her hammock swung too quickly into the wall.

Beyond that, it was almost unnerving how quiet their journey was. Aside from one brief scuffle with some monsters that the crew were able to kick off the deck before anyone was hurt, the only event of not came when their course took them to the edges of a large storm. The captain ordered all passengers below, in case it turned nasty, and did his best to maintain course without heading too far in. Tethered to the main mast as she had been when they had travelled to Lonalulu, Serena beat back the winds trying to shove them off course with her own gales, only pausing to send one gust at a creature that tried to climb over the railing while they were distracted.

Afterwards she was kept busy attending to all the green-faced passengers, until at long last she was able to fall into her hammock, feeling every inch of her body thank her for doing so.

But against Kai’s silence, Faris’ never ending chatter and the poetry of the weapons train, it was a welcome change, almost like being with the others again. It also gave her time to think about what she’d do when they got to Puerto Valor, and where she and Sylvando might find the others. If her thoughts sometimes strayed into more worrying avenues, then that was just a sign that she should go up on deck and get some fresh air, nothing more.

And so, Serena was able to avoid the panic that had encompassed her those first few days in Lonalulu, and that had been threatening to creep up on her again. At least until they docked outside the Sea Gates, and Serena took her place in the line of people waiting to disembark.

The guards seemed unusually attentive, looking at each face that came down the gangplank. She wouldn’t have thought anything of it, if they hadn’t stopped one of the girls she’d shared a cabin with on her way down, asking her something that Serena couldn’t make out, but that the girl shook her head at. The soldier frowned, but let her go on her way, attention already on the next lady in line, this one with a small child in her arms.

Curiously, they let the next female passenger go by without question, but after a second’s thought, Serena realised why, and felt her stomach twist. By then it was her turn, and sure enough the soldier glanced at her hair before clearing his throat. “Forgive me _senorita,_ but your name wouldn’t be Serena or Veronica, would it?”

For the first time since Yggdrasil fell, Serena felt a familiar chill run down her spine. It was foolish of course, because surely Heliodor wouldn’t still be hunting them, but she still felt the urge to look around, half expecting Sir Hendrik of Jasper to pop up from behind a crate, ready to capture her. It would be just like them to appear just when things seemed to be going right, after all.

Mentally chiding herself for letting her thoughts turn glum, Serena raised her head a little to meet the guard’s gaze head on, “I’m Serena, yes. And you are?” It never paid to be polite, after all.

“Very glad to see you,” The guard said, much to her surprise. “Don Rodrigo promised a reward to anyone able to give him news of the Luminary’s missing companions.” He gestured for her to follow him, gently prying her pack from her hands after they’d gone a few steps, “He’ll be glad to hear of your arrival, I’m sure.”

“Don Rodrigo?” That was the man Prince Faris had suggested she go see. But what could he possibly want from her or any of the others? Unless…Serena swallowed, feeling her heart beat a little faster, “Forgive me, but I’m afraid I don’t quite understand. Why would Don Rodrigo be looking for us?” If this was some sort of convoluted trap of Heliodor’s…Her hand moved to her wand, ready to blow the soldier away if she had to.

“Because he promised _Senor_ Norberto that he’d keep an eye out while he and the Luminary were gone, of course. He gave descriptions of you and your companions to all of the guards, and firm orders that any news should go straight to him.” They were reaching the end of the harbour now, and the guard began looking about for something, given Serena a chance to hide her surprise at how the situation had changed. After all, she’d expected to hear of Sylvando before she did Ellie, let alone that Ellie was apparently travelling with the Don’s long-lost son. “But beyond that I can’t tell you much. If you’ve got questions, he’ll probably have the answers you’re after.”

With that, he seemed to locate what he was looking for, which turned out to be a small cart and horse that he helped her onto, sharing a few words with the driver in the local language. They spoke too quickly for her to pick anything out, but their tones were light, and the driver didn’t look as though he had been directed to take her to the nearest dungeon. Still, Serena took a casual glance downwards, and decided that if she needed to, she wouldn’t hurt herself too much by jumping off as they went.

Any further planning was put on hold by the cart driver climbing up and taking the reins, at which point there wasn’t much she could do besides hang on, and hope she wouldn’t need to test that theory.

* * *

Serena remembered Servantes from their last visit to Puerto Valor, and he seemed to recognise her a little, enough to grace her with a small smile as he guided her through to a study at the back of the villa. “Don Rodrigo will be through soon. In the meantime, he asks that you make yourself at home.” He gestured towards a comfy looking sofa before vanishing, promising to be back with some tea and some food.

Left alone for the first time in a while, Serena ignored the sofa. Her wand, she kept in a loose grip, prepared to fling a spell and run if this did prove to be some strangely comfortable trap. But until it sprung, she was content to stay in one place while her head spun from all she’d seen once they’d entered the city.

The streets had been filled with music and young men in extravagant costumes, doing everything between dancing and telling jokes to the crowds they were attracting. They hadn’t seemed to be collecting money as other street performers did though, and she had managed to make out one saying that their only price was the smiles of their audiences. The statement had been so in character for Sylvando that Serena had nearly fallen off the cart by craning too far, hoping to spot him somewhere in the chaos.

But there had been no sign of him, or of any of her friends. She’d wanted to stop and ask one of the performers where Sylvando had gone, if he was with Ellie and this Norberto or if they’d somehow missed each other, but by then the cart had been pulling up outside Don Rodrigo’s villa and there’d been no chance.

The door opened, and someone came halfway in, body turned to speak with whoever was still in the hall. They were wearing a black and white jester’s tunic over a red shirt, and for one, heart stopping second, Serena thought that her journey was over, and that she’d found Sylvando at last. Then the man came into the room proper, and her heart fell to see the moustache and older features. _Then,_ she pushed her disappointment to the side and saw just how familiar some of those features were.

Sylvando, Serena decided, was very lucky that Don Rodrigo hadn’t been available the last time they were here, or they would’ve worked the truth out almost immediately.

Don Rodrigo’s eyes went straight to her hand, and Serena flushed when she realised she still had her wand primed to cast. But when he looked at her properly, he seemed oddly approving of her wariness, though he didn’t mention it, “My apologies for keeping you waiting, _senorita._ No doubt you have many questions, and I can only apologise further that it was Antonio of all people that saw you leaving your ship.” He moved past her, taking off his feathered headdress as he did so, “That boy has never quite understood the importance of giving _all_ the information out.”

Servantes arrived then with the tea, and Serena found herself sipping from fine china and nibbling on a cake as Don Rodrigo filled her in. Her stomach briefly twisted when he confirmed that the others had already departed, but he was quick to add that they would be back, and hopefully soon. “There are only so many places on the Inland Sea for them to go, and Nor-Sylvando will not find it so easy to sneak through the Sea Gates a second time.”

She learnt that they were mainly aiming for Octagonia, where they hoped to find Jade, and that they’d picked up Rab and Sir Hendrik (which was another surprise that she’d need a little time to work out, but not yet). “And my sister Veronica, or Erik?”

At that, Don Rodrigo gave a low sigh, “No news as of yet, I’m afraid. But that you’ve made it here means it’s possible that they might too. My men know to keep their eyes out if they do come close to Puerto Valor.” 

“Hopefully it’s not Antonio who finds them.” Serena smiled, “If you thought _I’m_ wary, you don’t want to see them when they sense a trap.” Erik would be a mile away before they noticed, and Veronica would cover their escape by flinging fire at anything that even looked like it was following them.

Now that she gave it some thought, Serena supposed it wasn’t likely that those pair had found each other already. She would’ve heard some stories by now. Well, either that or their bickering.

Unaware of where her thoughts had drifted to, Don Rodrigo set his cup down, “Now comes the matter of what we are to do with you. You are, naturally, welcome to stay here, but should you prefer to stay in town, we can provide for that too.”

“Oh, here will be lovely but why-“ Serena was cut off by a loud trumpeting right outside the study window, and when she looked it was to see what seemed to be an entire marching band setting up in the training grounds, several knights and squires moving to make room for them. “Ah.”

“Precisely.”

Turning back around, Serena gave a soft smile, “Don’t worry, I’ve never had much trouble with noisy neighbours.”

“Coming from anyone else, I might be sceptical.” Pouring another cup and pushing the cake plate her way, Don Rodrigo gave his own smirk, “But from someone who has travelled with my son’s theatrics, Robert’s snoring and any other eccentricities your party have, I’m almost tempted to believe you.” It being too early to make a proper toast, the pair of them simply tapped their cups together, before Servantes was called in and asked to get a guest room ready.

Later on, when the rest of the house was asleep, Serena sat in her window and stared out over the sea. It was a little easier to believe that the others were all out there now, and any loneliness she might’ve felt was soon washed away by that little voice that sounded like Veronica telling her that she could finally rest. There was no need for any plan, or hoping someone would take her along with them. All she had to do was wait.

It wouldn’t be much longer before they were all together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a nice long chapter to make up for the fact that I can't see another one going up for a while. This period is absolute chaos at work and I've been given more hours than I know what to do with which has had a bit of a knock affect when it comes to my stress and anxiety levels, so I'm not sure my head's in the right place to produce the chapter you guys deserve.
> 
> I will still be writing future chapters whenever I get a spare minute, I just can't see myself writing the Gloomivore and all his despair right this minute, even if it ultimately ends up alright. 
> 
> On a lighter note, I hope you and yours are doing well and that you have a wonderful holiday season despite everything going on. I'll try and get something out during the holidays proper, a little thank you present for all of you wonderful readers and the support you've given :)


	42. The Parts That Didn't Make It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small little snippets that didn't quite make it into the main chapters, but that still deserve a chance to shine.

* * *

_The Poker Tournament_

* * *

Strictly speaking, poker wasn’t supposed to be a team game, and Erik wouldn’t normally let two of his opponents confer for so long. Since Ellie had learnt the rules all of ten minutes ago, and Jade wasn’t doing much better, it didn’t hurt to let them whisper while he focused on getting back what he’d lost to Serena, who was either some kind of secret card shark or had the best beginner’s luck Erik had ever seen. Judging by the look on Veronica’s face, it could be either.

Besides, it wasn’t like they were playing for actual stakes. The middle of the table was piled high with every match they could find on the ship, with a few pins thrown in to make things more interesting. The grand winner would be the last man standing, or whoever had the most when dinner was called. And given that the agreed prize was the biggest slice of the cake Ellie had seen Dave putting in the oven, Erik could feel the seconds ticking by.

Now that he thought about it, that probably explained a lot.

When they all heard the squeak, Erik didn’t pay it, or the strange expression on Ellie’s face any mind. No, his attention was on his hand, and the thought that if he didn’t get some good luck soon, then Serena would be taking this round too. Luckily, he knew how to make his own luck.

Unfortunately for him, the source of the squeak chose the exact moment that he was sliding his extra cards down his sleeve to appear. Ellie’s scream made them all jump, and Erik had just enough time to notice that half his aces were now flying onto the table, before Jade sent the rat running with a poorly aimed kick. For a second, everyone’s eyes were on the Luminary now crouching on her stool and shuddering, before they went back to the table.

If the screaming wasn’t enough for Sylvando and Rab to come investigate, then Veronica’s yell of “You little cheater!” definitely was.

* * *

_Retrieving the Purple Orb_

* * *

The party stood in the doorway, staring at the chests in the centre of the room. There were bits and pieces around the room confirming that this was indeed the lost vault of Zwaardsrust. Which was just as well really because the only other door they’d been able to find in the ruins was magically sealed beyond their means.

Before zooming back to the Warrior’s Rest, they’d taken it upon themselves to do a little research, to try and get some idea of what would be guarding the Purple Orb. They hadn’t stumbled on anything too helpful, which had ultimately led to a round of guessing. Jade’s tentative suggestion that it would be guarded by souls of those who had lived in Zwaardsrust during its fall had been the most popular.

Now that the moment was on them though, there wasn’t a soul, human or monster in sight.

“This has to be a trap.” Veronica declared, snapping them out of the spell they’d all been under. “We’ll step in, open the chests and then _something’s_ going to jump out at us.”

“I don’t know. I’m sensing treasure, but no monsters.” Erik disagreed, leaning in a little closer, as if trying to zero in on each chest.

“Oh, _now_ you remember to use your Peek spell.”

Before they had a chance to repeat the argument they’d had after dealing with a certain giant chest inside Dora’s mural, Jade, Ellie and Sylvando each stepped forwards, weapons ready. Ignoring the worried noises coming from behind them (especially when Ellie picked up something sparkly from the floor and pocketed it), they each selected a chest and started prying it open, ready to stab at the first sign of teeth.

Everyone sucked in a breath as Sylvando straightened up, the Purple Orb in his hands. They were all waiting for something to burst through the walls, or appear in a swell of magic. If not right after they had the Orb then certainly when they were leaving, planning to attack them while their guards were down.

While the others nervously prepared spells to cover their retreat, Sylvando tossed Ellie the orb and she slid it besides its brothers in her bag. From there it was just a case of making sure someone was watching the room, then the door as they retreated back through the tunnels and into the open air, ready to start fighting the second the monster showed itself.

Instead, they all stumbled back into the sunlight, still waiting for the surprise attack. Then they waited for the not so surprising attack, and after that for the totally expected attack.

Nothing happened.

Left to awkward stare at each other, the party were all thankful when Rab made his suggestion, “As far as anyone knows, we were cool as cucumbers the whole time, aye?”

_“Aye.”_

* * *

_The Magazines_

* * *

After his little…hiccup outside Sniflheim, Rab knew he didn’t have much time. Thankfully Ellie found the whole situation too funny not to help him by distracting Jade for a while, and the blazing fury in Sylvando’s eyes was already dim enough that by the time he finished filling Dave in on how things had gone in the city, his little slip had been forgotten. All that he needed to do was slip below decks while eyes were off him, and rescue what he could before Jade managed to get past Ellie.

The vast majority of his treasure hoard was, thankfully, nothing he would miss when they were inevitably chucked into the sea. Those he left where they were, easily found, and hopefully enough to throw off the scent. When it came to his treasured first editions though, Rab faltered. He couldn’t let Jade throw them out like they were nothing but rubbish. No, he needed to hide them somewhere, but he had no idea where and it wasn’t as though he had enough time to roam the ship looking for the perfect place.

“Ellie said you might need some help?” Erik’s voice near gave Rab a heart attack. He straightened to see the lad leaning in the doorway, a smirk still splitting his face. He, like Ellie, had taken Rab’s accidental revelation with good cheer, which in his case had roughly translated to howling with laughter after initial shock had worn off.

He led Rab along to the saloon, and to a part of the floor next to one of the sofas. “I found it when I was helping Dave set the traps out.” He explained, lifting up a loose board, before stepping back so Rab could take a look. It was dark and cramped, and he heard the vague skittering of tiny feet not too far away. “I’ll move one of the poison boxes so the rats will keep their distance, and all you have to do is make sure you’re not caught.”

“Och, cheers lad. You’ve really saved my bacon here.”

“Just don’t forget where it is. I draw the line at searching for this kind of treasure.” Promising he wouldn’t, Rab gently dropped his small pile down the hole, making sure to mark which boards Erik was sliding back into place. Once he was done, there was nothing to mark anything out of the ordinary, and it was well worth sitting through dinner with both Jade and Sylvando sending him looks that the matter wasn’t closed.

He was completely unaware that just a few months later it would slip his mind completely, only to be scrambling to find the spot once more, after Sir Hendrik of Heliodor let slip just _how_ they had realised who the figure atop Mount Pang Lai had been. Or how, having failed to find it again, he was unaware that it wasn’t just a few dirty magazines that were hiding there now.

But as you already know, that’s another story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, something small for the holidays :) I hope you and all your loved ones have a wonderful time! 
> 
> As always thank you for reading and make sure to stay safe out there, and if we don't see each other before then, I hope everybody has a happy new year!


	43. The Last King of Dundrasil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Irwin faces foes both physical and political in his bid to keep his daughter safe.

It wasn’t the first big event he’d hosted as King, but Irwin still felt his nerves go on edge and stay there. All of Erdrea’s rulers were waiting for him upstairs, and while it was his daughter they were there to see, he was keenly aware that those same eyes were watching his every move. He didn’t want to know what they’d do if he failed whatever expectations they held, and the fear of finding out had had him watching his every word and action since the first carriage had been sighted.

Nothing Eleanor or Lord Robert said had made him feel any easier, but he could at least take a little solace in that it would be all over soon. He would present Eliza at the Colloquy, so they could start making their preparations for whatever darkness lurked on the horizon, there would be a few more functions to get through, and then they could go back to normal.

Well, as normal as it could be, when his daughter was the new Luminary.

No matter how many times he said or thought it, Irwin was still surprised and a little unnerved if he was telling the truth. That a great evil was on its way was bad enough, but for their one and only defence to be the baby beginning to doze off in his arms, clinging to one of his fingers like it was her favourite teddy?

The world was turning mad around them, and all they could offer Eliza was their support in keeping it together until she was ready. And that began right now, behind the doors that even now, he was stepping through, and being announced to the rest of Erdrea’s royalty.

It was time for the Colloquy to begin.

Eliza’s bassinet had been brought in earlier by one of Eleanor’s maids and placed in the centre of the table so that she would be comfortable while everyone gawked at her. As he nodded and exchanged greetings with those present, Irwin tucked her in, even managing, after some tense negotiation, to pull his finger free without her waking up. Luckily, his fellow rulers seemed to find his struggle more amusing than anything, no doubt thinking of their own children at that age.

Unfortunately, that was the last point in the evening where Irwin felt anywhere close to the rest of the kings. Oh, it all started out well, with Lord Robert reciting the Luminary’s prophecy, and the Sultan of Gallopolis cheering about how this meant they were all saved. Even King Carnelian’s stony face broke a bit, when he leaned in to get a better look at the Mark of Light on Eliza’s tiny hand.

It had all been going so well, and then King Gustaf of Sniflheim had to open his big mouth.

Prattling on about the increased monster activity, how, ever since Eliza’s birth he had heard Erdwin’s Lantern _singing_ of Erdrea’s destruction and how evil didn’t always take the shape people expected. He even had King Carnelian rattle off another poem from the Book of Erdwin, about how the Luminary’s shadow was long and host to all sorts of evil…It just went on and on.

Unable to believe what he was hearing, King Irwin looked towards his father-in-law. He knew that Lord Robert valued his friendship with these men, but he refused to believe that Lord Robert would let any of them lay a hand on Eliza, or continue to let them make these wild claims…

Except that was exactly what he was doing. Oh, his head was bowed, and he looked far from happy, but he wasn’t saying a word in his granddaughter’s defence, no matter how hard Irwin was mentally begging him to. The Sultan was just as bad, only glancing at Eliza once before wincing, probably thanking the Goddess that it wasn’t his own child being discussed in such a way.

It was at that point that Eliza woke up, and while Irwin knew she had no way of understanding where she was or what was happening, she clearly knew something was wrong, as her face screwed up and she gave a small whimper. Gustaf only raised his voice to be heard over the noise, getting louder when she did the same, and that was when Irwin finally snapped. “Enough!”

“King Irwin-“

“Don’t you start!” King Carnelian wisely closed his mouth. Keeping a sharp eye on him, Irwin reached and pulled Eliza’s basket from the centre of the table, away from the now silent kings. She was full on wailing now, which was probably his fault, but she quietened when he scooped her up. Gently positioning her so she could hide in his shoulder, he looked at each King in turn, unable to hide his disgust, “This is a child you’re talking about. A child sent by Yggdrasil herself and yet you treat her like some kind of monster!”

“King Irwin.” Carnelian tried again, and this time, Irwin let him speak. “As the leaders of this world, we owe it to our people to root out even the slightest hint of evil at the source. Even when that source is painfully close to home…”

“You’re asking me to kill my own daughter! My own flesh and blood!” Once again, the room fell silent, which was just as damning as a confession in his eyes. Why should they sully their own hands? After all, she was Irwin’s daughter, Dundrasil’s princess, surely it fell to him to make sure she wouldn’t grow into the threat they were so very scared of?

Feeling himself shaking with rage, Irwin shifted Eliza so they could look at each other, her watery eyes staring into his. “Something happened.” He started, speaking only to her, and making sure the room knew that. “Not long before you were born, a great, blinding light shot up from Yggdrasil and set the sky aglow. For a moment, it was like night had become day. We saw that same light the evening when you were born, shining from the mark on your hand.”

Eliza gurgled happily at him, and with a soft snort, Irwin looked back at the rest of the room, anger cooled somewhat, “This child is a force for good, I have never been more certain of anything. She won’t give rise to the darkness- she was sent to drive it out.” Was he imagining things, or was Carnelian’s moustache twitching? Unsure, Irwin turned to look at Lord Robert, and at his nod, he went on, “Light and dark are not two sides of the same coin. Eliza’s light is a gift that will cleanse the world of this Dark One, and if you can’t see that…then I’m truly sorry for you.”

Certain he had just insulted each of the men who just hours before, he had been terrified of facing, Irwin dug for that same fear so he could make a proper apology, as would probably be demanded, and found nothing. There was probably something to take from that, but what, Irwin didn’t know.

Still, he was stunned when clapping, of all things, broke the silence he had sent them all into. “A fine performance.” Carnelian congratulated, “Of course, anything less, and we would’ve had no choice but to remove young Eliza from your care.” He smiled when he saw Irwin tighten his grip, “The Luminary is Yggdrasil’s gift to us all, and must be protected as such.”

“I hope you will forgive us our little test.” Gustaf added, just barely stifling laughter, “But we had to be certain of your belief, you understand?”

 _A test?!_ He sent a look to Lord Robert, who had the grace to look sheepish. The Sultan was pulling a similar expression, and it was only his hold on Eliza that stopped Irwin from storming out then and there. How dare they think that he would just hand his daughter over, that he wouldn’t fight for her just because of some long-forgotten prophecy?

He could understand, of course, but it was still painful to think that they had thought so little of him. That they had come here with such low expectations of him.

What followed was probably something he should’ve been listening to, and a glimpse at his father-in-law assured that he would be getting the highlights later. But Irwin could do little more than cuddle his daughter close, wondering if he would spend the rest of his life looking out for another test that he might fail.

No, he promised himself. He would never lose faith in Eliza, whether she was the Luminary or this dreaded Darkspawn. She was his light, and as long as he stood, she would be free to shine however she wanted to.

Yet even that was stolen from him by a frantic knock at the door, and the soldier who flung himself through it, halfway to the grave, “Y-You must flee the palace immediately! Monsters! Hundreds... Hundreds of...monsters...”

* * *

The monsters hadn’t made it as far as the family quarters when Irwin and his guards came running. The men fell into place alongside those guarding his and Eleanor’s chambers, making just enough of a gap for Irwin to slip through before closing the door behind him again.

Inside, he found Eleanor and Princess Jade already outfitted to evacuate, and his armour lying on the bed ready for him. “The guards estimate we have maybe an hour before they break through to this section.” Eleanor reported, head bent over something on her desk. When Irwin went to set Eliza’s bassinet down next to her, he could just make out the beginnings of what looked like a letter. Unsure why she would feel the need to do so now of all times, but certain there was a reason, Irwin said nothing, and hurried to change.

“We’ll be long gone by then, love. No matter what happens, I’ll get you out of here. All of you.” He added, seeing Jade’s pale face. Carnelian had charged him with his daughter’s safety, and he did not intend to break that trust for anything. “We can take the tunnels into the forest and make for Octagonia, hole up there for a bit.”

Planning helped keep his head level as he struggled into his wedding gift from Lord Robert. The armour was the finest that Dundrasil’s smiths could offer, but at that moment Irwin would’ve preferred his old guard’s armour, which he could’ve handled easily even with his hands shaking. But that was locked deep in a vault somewhere, along with Dundrasil’s other treasures and artifacts of historical importance, and he was left with a suit he hadn’t had time to familiarise himself with yet.

He looked towards Eleanor, but she was still occupied at her table, alternating between feverish writing, and looking at Eliza. He didn’t dare disturb her, not with that look on her face, but there wasn’t time to pull someone else in to help him. Briefly hoping his usual squire was safe, Irwin prepared to dispense with the greaves entirely, and focus on getting to his sword.

He was surprised then when his first step was met by a small gasp and the clattering of metal hitting the floor. When he looked down, it was to see Princess Jade on her knees and picking up the shin guard he’d dislodged. Its twin was already secure around his leg, and despite everything else, he gave her a soft chuckle, “So, all that time watching Jasper and Hendrik’s paid off then?”

She gave him a nervous little smile and went back to work, her small fingers pulling the straps to the right length and buckling him in tightly. With her help, Irwin was fully armoured in little over five minutes, and when the last piece was in place, they stood to see Eleanor holding Eliza’s bassinet in one hand, and Irwin’s sword in the other. They traded, the sword for Jade’s hand, and for a split second, he and his wife simply looked at each other, knowing this might be the last chance they had to do so.

“I’ll get you out.” He repeated, heading to the door.

He fought like he’d never fought before. Even as parts of his escort fell, or were dispatched them to help others, in the vaguest hope it would mean something, Irwin fought. He didn’t watch where his slices landed, didn’t notice that there were far more monsters falling than should’ve been strictly possible. His attention was solely on the path he was clearing for the girls, pushing them closer and closer to the tunnels that would take them to safety.

And when they were in the tunnels and the monsters found them far too quickly, he knew what had to be done. As soon as there was enough of a break in the hordes sent after them, he took Eleanor by the shoulders, drinking in as much of her face as he dared, “Take the children and go on ahead.”

“Not without you!”

“I’ll be right behind you.” Eleanor’s lips thinned, and he knew she was going to argue, so he cut her off by glancing quickly downwards, where Jade was looking between them. “Go.” He urged, pushing her gently towards the tunnel’s exit, as another set of booming footsteps echoed closer to the chamber they were in.

Spinning on his heel so he didn’t have to watch them run, Irwin turned to face the latest monsters, stomach clenching when he saw the size of the beasts. Either the Lord of Shadows had managed to subdue the rest of the castle, or he had realised that Eliza was slipping beyond his grasp, and was sending the strongest of his creatures to retrieve her.

It didn’t matter. Though the monsters tried, they ultimately fell to another of those phantom slashes that Irwin never actually swung. Bruised, and more than a little bloody, Irwin took a shallow breath, feeling his ribs twinge. If he made it out of here, he was going to be extremely sore in the morning.

Now all he had to do was make it out of here.

The screaming from above had long since fallen silent, the implications of which Irwin didn’t want to dwell on, and he heard no further opponents rushing towards him. Maybe he’d been correct before, that his last opponent had been specially dispatched. By the time their master realised, Irwin would be halfway to Octagonia.

“Jade! JADE!”

Make that he and _King Carnelian_ would be halfway to Octagonia. Moment of rest over, Irwin jogged back down the way he had come, hoping he could get to the other before he brought any other monsters down on them.

He arrived to find that he was already too late. Some…some sort of demon in robes had snared Carnelian with shadowy magic, a sick grin on his face. Oh, he soon vanished when Irwin’s shout alerted him that he was no longer alone, dropping the king like a sack of rubbish, but Irwin knew that where there was one, there was sure to be more coming.

“Irwin?” Carnelian said, and in a tone weaker than Irwin had ever heard him. It was enough for Irwin to briefly forget the danger and rush to his side, crouching as he prepared to help the elder to his feet, “What happened? Is everyone safe?”

“Aye, Your Majesty. Jade and the wee one made it safely away with Eleanor.”

“I see…Good, very good…I shall send my forces after them right away.”

“We can head after them ourselves.” Irwin murmured, “I know where Eleanor’s heading and-Your Majesty!” The aged king moved too fast for Irwin to counter or even push away…

“No!”

The scream seemed to come from nearby, but the monster wearing Carnelian’s skin didn’t react, beyond pulling the dagger from Irwin’s stomach. Still, Irwin panicked, certain that whoever it was would be killed next, so this beast could uphold his masquerade. When he tried sitting up though his vision blacked out, and when he was aware of himself again, there was a girl kneeling over him, pushing her glowing hands against the wound in his stomach. There was a strange tint to her though, as if she was more shadow than flesh.

He wanted to tell her that it was no use, or to tell her to run after Eleanor and Jade, protect them with that sword on her waist. But when he tried to speak it just came out as a gurgle that had her head turning to look at him in horror, even as she kept on trying to save him.

Irwin sucked in a breath he didn’t have to spare. Maybe it was his eyes playing tricks on him, maybe it was just wishful thinking, but she looked just like Eleanor. No, not just Eleanor…

Making the connection before he even realised, Irwin forced his arm upwards, just managing to find his daughter’s hand and give her finger a squeeze before his strength was gone. “M-My Eliza…You have to stop him…”

“I will,” Eliza nodded, still channelling magic into him, “I promise!”

Irwin smiled around the blood beginning to coat his lips, “I know…” His hand fell from her finger, voice failing before he could finish, or say any of the other hundreds of things he wanted to, that he needed her to hear.

There was no pain. Only a light…his light, dulled somehow, but still shining. And that was enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of the new year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that this year will be far better than the last one was.


	44. Light Shines Eternal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Ellie to face the beast holding her father prisoner. Unluckily for her, he's not best pleased with her interference, and even less at the thought of letting her go so easily.

“No! No, wake up!” Ellie swapped spells, concentrating not on the wound, but on the slowly fading life inside her father’s body, just as she had seen Serena do any number of times when one of them took a bad hit. No matter how much magic she poured into him though, there was nothing to stop her father’s body from slowly fading, just as Mordegon and Hendrik’s spectres already had. At last, with no more mana left to call on, Ellie sniffed, and pulled her hands away.

She thought she’d been able to change things. When she’d taken down all those monsters before they could lay a hand on him, and he’d made it past that chamber, it had looked so promising. And then King Carnelian had shouted and…

There was a difference, Ellie realised, in knowing that Mordegon was responsible for her parents’ deaths, and actually seeing him wielding the sword himself. Not much of a difference admittedly, but a difference all the same.

At least he hadn’t been alone this time. Ellie wasn’t sure what that was worth, against sixteen years of reliving the same night over and over again, but it had to be worth something. And when it all started again, as she was certain it would soon, she would do even better, work even harder. All she had to do was wait for a second, and catch her breath.

The ballroom never reappeared, no matter how long she stayed kneeling there. There was no laughter or music, nothing but the echoes of her own breathing. And when that changed, she didn’t even notice until it was too late.

“So…you are the one who stole my meal from me.” The low growl came from behind her, and when Ellie, looked over her shoulder, she was greeting by a set of yellow teeth, sharp and each one as long as her arm. Swallowing, she slowly rose to her feet, and the monster allowed her to, because it made no difference. It was still easily twice her size, and crouching, ready to pounce if she tried running away.

“What are you?” Ellie whispered before she could stop herself.

The creature let out a rumbling laugh, and as it did, clouds of smoke purred from its body, snatching what little light was left in the dungeon. “I am the Gloomnivore…I devour the despair of those unfortunate enough to fall into my domain.”

“You’re the one who held King Irwin here?” She already knew the answer, but better to let the beast carry on talking, even if it turned her stomach to hear him sound so pleased with himself.

“His misery was just…exquisite. His kingdom ruined, his family gone, betrayed, dying alone…Mm. There is a reason I drew out his suffering for so long. One should not rush such a delicious feast…and yet I can barely taste him now.” The Gloomivore straightened, taking in every inch of her with his cold, yellow eyes, “At least I will not starve, though I doubt you will be quite so filling.”

Not liking where this was going, Ellie tried to take a step back, only to find her feet pined to the floor by that horrible smoke. Not put off in the least, the Gloomnivore pushed his nose closer, and inhaled sharply, before taking a much lighter sniff. Whatever he had picked up on must’ve been pleasing, as he drew back with a fanged smile, “Oh, I do so enjoy being proven wrong. The only question, is which memory should I feed from? Which would bring you the most agony to relive?”

They came at lightning speed, and though he lingered for only seconds on each one, Ellie felt the ice of every single one take root in her heart.

Sitting in the woodshed after her grandad’s funeral, ignoring her mum knocking at the door and begging for her to come out.

Collapsing against what was left of the kitchen dresser, screaming for her mum and Gemma and knowing they weren’t coming back.

Looking at one of her new friends and wondering if he was waiting for the perfect moment to betray her.

Watching a mermaid walk into the sea and fade away, when a single lie might’ve saved her.

And Mordegon, standing over her with her power in his hand. _That_ was where the Gloomnivore paused, as Ellie knew he would. “Ah, here it is. The darkest, tenderest recess of your soul.” Mordegon began circling her, speaking with the Gloomnivore’s voice, “Your power stolen, and used to give birth to a monster.” His form twisted, wrapping itself with smoke until all that could be seen were his glowing eyes, and the vague outline of the creature Mordegon had transformed himself into, “You could not protect your friends. You could not save the world. What kind of hero are you?”

“Shut up.” Ellie spat, but he wasn’t finished.

“Without the Mark of Light, you are nothing.”

“…za!

_This is all your fault!_

“A failure, just like Erdwin.”

_Look at what you’ve done!_

“…liza!”

“No, worse than Erdwin.”

_Look at it!_

“At least he had the grace to die!”

“Eliza! Listen to me!” Her mother’s voice cut into all the noise. Even with both hands clamped over her ears, Ellie could hear her, feel that warmth that she hadn’t noticed was missing until now. “You mustn’t let him trap you here as he did Irwin. Do not let him make you a prisoner of your own mind!”

She leaned into the warmth, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can.” If her father hadn’t found a way out in sixteen years, how was she going to find it now?

“You can, my love. You just need to show him that despair is not all this world has to offer.”

Ellie did as she was told, tuning out the fake Mordegon and her own venomous shadow to actually think. Yes, the Gloomnivore was a gluttonous beast, who would skip straight to the biggest meal, but he hadn’t done the same to her father. He’d only ever focused on Irwin’s last day, drawing it out instead of giving himself some variety.

“Because that is the only memory where Irwin could not fight back against him.” Eleanor whispered, and Ellie could almost feel the brush of her hand against her face, “All others were made toxic by other feelings. Perhaps not in the moment, but in how Irwin recalled them, or linked them to others. That is the only memory he was unable to bring light to…until you helped him. Now you must let your friends do the same.”

Hands seemed to grip her shoulders, and Ellie moved with the pull, until she was standing level with the Gloomnivore. He was watching her, like a dog who had been pulled from his meal, but knew that as soon as the hand moved from his collar, he could start feasting all over again. “There is a light inside you that can never be extinguished. It is waiting, biding its time. You simply have to reach for it.”

The fall of Dundrasil was Irwin’s Yggdrasil. It represented nothing but his utter failure, as a king, a knight, a husband and a father, all things he had defined himself by. It was what made those memories so easy for the Gloomnivore to latch onto.

Before Jasper had thrown that spell, Ellie had been the Luminary. The world’s hero poised to take her first steps in the real fight against the darkness. Afterwards, she’d been nothing, just like the Gloomnivore had said. And while her friends kept saying that didn’t matter to them, it did to her. As the Luminary, it was her job to keep all of them safe, and she’d failed them.

They’d been stuck in a warzone while she’d been sleeping peacefully under the sea. Yes, she’d found some of her friends and they were on their way, but if Ellie had been just a bit stronger, they wouldn’t have had to go through what they had. Not to mention, Erik, Veronica and Serena were still out there, going through Goddess knows what.

“But there is one thing that brought you joy. I can see it.”

Ellie nodded, hating herself for doing so, “But I shouldn’t have been so happy about it. All those people were still in danger because I was too weak.”

“And you helped pull them from that danger. Just as they trusted you would, just as your friends trust that you will now.” Eleanor pulled the memory closer, “Now, let them do the same for you.”

There were snarls coming from close by, the Gloomnivore renewing his struggles as he realised his lunch might still escape him. Feeling bolder because of that, Ellie let the memory take over and drown him out, closing her eyes just in case. A new, different kind of warmth enveloped her, closely followed by the barest smell of freshly cooked stew, and Ellie, without even looking, knew where Eleanor had brought her.

It was when she’d first gotten to the Last Bastion, and had been greeted, not by strangers, but everyone from Cobblestone. That moment when she’d seen her mum, and everything else had disappeared for a bit. How she’d been willing to do anything as long as she could just hug her for a bit longer.

Because she’d never been the Luminary to her mum. She had always just been Ellie. Maybe that was what she needed to be right now, instead of living up to a title that hadn’t bothered her for sixteen years, only to then take over her life.

There was a roar, and she was suddenly pulled from her mum’s arms into a different embrace, Jasper’s arm around her neck, squeezing with that horrible magic. Before he could set it free, Ellie clenched her jaw and reached again, laughing dizzily when it worked, and she was sent twirling. She was stopped by a tug on her arm, the boy from Sylvando’s troupe pulling her back the other way to spin her again and again until they were both on the floor.

Back and forth they went. The Gloomnivore pulling her back, and Ellie, pushing forwards before he could sink his teeth in. Even when she tired, she only had to look to know that he was too, and that was enough to keep her fighting, and when the new memories dried up, she revisited the old.

She might’ve met them because she was the Luminary, but if that was all her friends cared about, there wouldn’t have been moments like these between the battles. They didn’t care about the Luminary, they cared about Ellie and each other, with no conditions. Just like she did for them, no matter what mask or title they showed to everyone else.

That’s what being a family meant.

So, she laughed at every joke, cheered at every victory like it was the first time she had lived it. And every time, Ellie let herself forget that there was any great destiny to live up to, just like she had then. They were her light, and she wasn’t going to let the Gloomnivore take that away from her.

Not that it didn’t try. No memory lasted more than a second before despair tried to claim her again. Everything else, the Gloomnivore pushed down, trying to cram it into a spot far too small for it to all fit. Ellie let him, because she could feel it all coiled up tightly, anger, joy and hope all twisting around each other, transforming into something else entirely. And the tighter the threads were, the more the monster tried shoving it all down, the stronger Ellie felt it become…

“That’s right my love. Remember who you are!”

…until with one final push…

“You can conquer the darkness. You must let yourself shine!”

… _it erupted_.

“That’s enough!” Ellie roared, throwing both hands up and pushing with every ounce of that energy. It slammed into the Gloomnivore, pushing him far away and pulled his teeth from her memories. And when it faltered, and he began picking himself up again, ready to sink right back in to those first memories in a last, desperate bid to claim her, she remembered.

How Gemma, standing on Sandy’s back had climbed through the woodshed window to sit with her until she felt like leaving again.

That Erik had held onto her and let her stay there for as long as they possibly could, before refusing to let Heliodor take her.

Sylvando, sitting up late with her in the inn and patiently explaining away her concerns, only keeping the truly private things to himself.

And Michelle, who was now with Kai once more, her fifty years of waiting finally over.

“And Yggdrasil?” The Gloomnivore spat, barely able to stay standing by now. Knowing that he wouldn’t-couldn’t-pounce, Ellie let her arms fall. “The rest of the troubles you’ve unleashed on this world? What joy, what hope can you possibly plan to find there?”

“That’s the beauty of it. My story isn’t over yet.” She informed the cowering monster, “Not until I say it is. And right now, I say that I’m going to learn and fix my mistakes, as soon as I’ve dealt with you.”

This time when Ellie set the light free, she didn’t just push out blindly. Instead, she wrapped herself in it, letting it shield her as the Gloomnivore tried to do with his darkness. And as she watched the great beast shake, recoiling at every flicker of light that edged too close to his paws, a tiny hint of sadness bloomed in her heart.

She felt sorry for him. Sorry that he had lived his whole life in darkness, hiding or being hidden from all the good things in the world, until he had grown to fear it instead. That wasn’t any way for any creature to live.

As she let herself be guided back to the real world, where her friends were waiting, Ellie had just enough time to see the Gloomnivore, robbed of his second meal, lunge at her, catching her with his claws seconds before he was pushed back from the light. But Ellie still felt him there, and as her arm started to drip with blood, and she was thrown back onto the stone floor, there was no time to smile at all the faces hovering over her.

“Ellie!”

“No time!” She gasped, pulling herself up. “Big monster, big teeth, very, very angry!” Her words spurred the others to action, and when the Gloomnivore was able to conquer his own fear, and step into the light for maybe the first time in his life, they were ready for him.

* * *

He didn’t truly understand where he was, or how he had gotten there. What he did know was that his wife was waiting for him, but that there were still things to do before he could join her, and precious little time to do it.

Lord Robert, hale and hearty as ever, simply took his hand and wished he and Eleanor all the peace in the world, just as he had the day he had given them his blessing to wed. Princess Jade, looking every bit as beautiful as her mother, perhaps more so, refused to hear his apology for being unable to hold back the tide. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before stepping back to let Sir Hendrik give his own well wishes.

And…Eliza. Waiting her turn patiently, and yet still looking nervous, until a gentle push from the man behind her made her come forwards. He sent the man a nod of thanks, getting a smile in return, before going to his daughter, holding her face in his slowly fading hands.

They didn’t have much time left, and even now Eleanor was stepping forwards, pushing them closer with her hug. Not much time, and yet he had so much to say. So, he pulled Eliza in to kiss her on the forehead, and said the one thing they had always told her, and hoped she would be able to hear the rest tucked inside.

“We love you, never forget that.”

And Ellie, eyes welling, held onto her father’s hands as best she could, until she was sure he could feel her grip on his fingers through his gauntlets as he brushed her tears away with his thumb. She held on until there was nothing left to hold, and then she said what she’d never got the chance to before now, praying that she wasn’t too late to say it now.

“I love you too.” And later when the excitement of a certain birthmark’s return wore off, and they were all leaving the dungeon behind, Ellie turned back to the empty room, taking one last second in the darkness before going back to the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one was...well it was hard. As I said before, I was wary of getting to this point because I wasn't sure it was a good idea with where my head's been lately. Add in a very stressful holiday period, and I was certain this was going to be an incoherent mess that I'd probably have to replace somewhere down the line. 
> 
> Instead it turned out to be one of the few things I could focus on for longer than five minutes without the real world throwing another rock at my head, and I'm incredibly thankful for that. So, with this out the way we can get back to our regularly scheduled happiness and- *Checks Notes* Oh...
> 
> Well it was a nice idea while it lasted, right?


	45. In The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having escaped one fire, it's time to make plans to jump into the next.

_…Despite the effort of the sea beast Alizarin, we were able to land on Zwaardrust’s shore and begin investigating the many rumours coming out of the regions, with surprising, but not, as I’m sure you will agree, unwelcome results._

Hendrik’s train of thought had slowed to a crawl, his pen hovering over the paper as he thought of what to put next. He’d promised to keep King Carnelian appraised of any progress they made on their mission. Up until this point, doing so had been fairly easy, but with all the recent developments, he found himself struggling over where to start, and how much information he should trust to paper, or how much he should save until he was next able to speak to His Majesty in person.

The exact details of Princess Jade’s ordeal for instance, or the truth behind the dreams of the Warrior’s Rest.

Deciding that this was better done after a night’s rest, Hendrik gently blew over what he had managed to write, folded the sheet, and tucked it between the pages of the book he had been using as a desk.

The night was clear of clouds, and even without the fire crackling away, there was little chill in the air. Barring any sudden rainstorms, which was highly unlikely according to the nearby weather cow, there shouldn’t be any need for them to pitch the tent. Which was just as well really, given that most of the campsite had fallen fast asleep not long after dinner, and showed no intention of moving for anything less than a full-scale invasion.

Only Sylvando was still awake, sat on his bedroll and twirling a pencil in his hands as he looked over the map, looking up when Hendrik set the book down and started making himself a little comfier. “Finally finished glaring at that poor sheet of paper, hm?” His voice was low, so as not to disturb Eliza, who lay a few inches away.

Hendrik followed his example, “For now. I assume you’re plotting our course to Sniflheim?”

“Creating a few options, yes. Dave will probably have a few ideas of his own as well, so we’ll probably work it out on the way to the Sea Gates.” He tapped at a point in the ocean, north of the city itself, “We’re actually sailing to here, and hopefully by the time we get there, the mermaids will be able to help us get past that golden glacier Papi mentioned.”

Hendrik couldn’t hide his grimace. As they had hoped, Princess Jade had managed to keep possession of the harp they would need to travel beneath the waves, and he couldn’t say he was looking forwards to it. Eliza had tried to put his mind at ease by promising that it was all perfectly safe, but her explanation of how they and the ship would be transported inside a giant bubble, only to resurface elsewhere hadn’t made him any keener on the prospect.

Appearing not to notice his discomfort, Sylvando had carried on talking, “Of course this all depends on us not offending the poor dears. I don’t know about you or the others, but I haven’t touched a harp in years.”

“Small steps, Sylvando. If Eliza is correct, we’ll have to deal with Alizarin before we can hope for the mermaids’ aid.”

It was Sylvando’s turn to pull a face, “Don’t remind me. The sooner that brute’s dealt with, the better.” His smile was quick to return, even if it didn’t quite reach his eyes, “I’m more interested in finding out what’s behind that glittery glacier.”

“No doubt we’ll be dragged into it somehow.” The whole story reeked of Mordegon’s involvement. With one general holding the mermaids and a second blocking access to the only safe harbour to that part of Erdrea, anyone hoping to get to Sniflheim or Arboria would have their work cut out for them. “As long as that witch isn’t involved somehow…”

“Who, Krystalinda?” Sylvando considered it before shaking his head, “No. I can’t see her doing something like this. Not when it would hurt Frysabel and her people.”

Picking his jaw off the floor, Hendrik tried to work out if the jester was trying to be funny, “That witch nearly froze those same people solid, and then tried to do the same to Eliza and I.”

His response was a raised eyebrow, and a disapproving look that Don Rodrigo would’ve been proud of. It certainly made Hendrik fight the urge to squirm, something made even harder when Sylvando spoke, “And much like someone else I could mention, she’s promised to right her previous errors, and I intend to give her the benefit of the doubt until I see otherwise.”

Leaving Hendrik to stew on that, he began rolling his map up, tone much friendlier while he did, “Now that you mention it though, it is strange that there’s been no reports of Krystalinda appearing anywhere else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if this crock of gold is big enough to completely block the way for ships, I can see why it may be too much for one mage to get rid of. But Krystalinda can fly, certainly high enough that clearing a glacier should be no problem.”

It took Hendrik a second to catch on, “So something must be physically preventing her from doing so to find outside aid…or the city itself faces a bigger threat, one that she dares not leave unchecked for so long.”

“And I’m sure we know who’ll be behind it either way.” Sylvando sighed, tying his pack closed, and leaning all the way back. His eyes drifted closed, and taking it as a dismissal, Hendrik decided it would be best to follow his example. They had a long day of walking ahead of them after all.

* * *

On the walk back to where they had agreed to meet Dave, they stopped at the Warrior’s Rest. It was still as packed as ever, but both the innkeeper and his wife confirmed that not a single guest had dreamt of King Irwin the previous night. What that meant for their future, Hendrik wasn’t sure, and he did feel slightly sympathetic, but given the choice between allowing King Irwin’s torment to continue, or a drop in traffic to the _only_ building between the dock and Octagonia…Well Hendrik knew what he’d choose each time.

The extra confirmation of their success meant it was a relatively cheerful group that arrived at the harbour. According to the fisherman who lived on the dock, Dave had taken the skiff back to the _Salty Stallion_ as soon as it was safe to do so, with the intention of making sure it hadn’t been too damaged during its brief brush with Alizarin, but had promised to keep an eye out for them so he would know when to pick them up.

To make the job a little easier for him, Eliza and Rab rook turns throwing spells into the air, while Sylvando watched the ship with a spyglass, and Hendrik kept watch for any monsters with Jade. After finding out that Eliza had politely browbeaten him into dispensing with her title, Jade had been quick to follow her example, and unable to argue with what was technically a royal command, Hendrik had agreed.

Time passed, with no sign of Dave. With no monsters brave enough to investigate the display on the beach, the attempts to signal the ship had changed into a competition that he and Jade were called to judge, the grandfather and granddaughter duo throwing their spells ever higher in a bit to outdo each other. Rab had just managed to snatch the lead when Sylvando gave a triumphant shout, “One more, he’s looking this way!”

“Alright!” Eliza nodded, calling on what was probably the last of her mana to throw one last frizz spell. All eyes followed its ascent, but a sharp breath from Sylvando meant nobody saw whether she had managed to beat Rab, their attention instead going to him as he brought the spyglass down.

Alarmed, Hendrik looked towards the ship. From this distance he could just about make out Dave’s pink mask and trousers climbing into the small boat tied to the side. But rather than lowering himself down, he seemed to be talking to someone, gesturing in some way that Hendrik couldn’t quite make out. Only then did he begin to descend, and Hendrik looked to Sylvando for an explanation and found him grinning at them, “Well, it looks like Dave’s had his own adventure while we were gone.”

And again, Hendrik realised that the smile hadn’t made it to Sylvando’s eyes. He wasn’t the only one to notice, but it was Jade who voiced her concern first. “What do you mean?”

In answer, Sylvando held the glass out, and while she moved it along the ship, trying to find what had startled him, the jester explained for the rest of them, “I could be wrong, but by the looks of things, Dave was able to find our stowaway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not pleased with how this one turned out, but I needed something to bridge the gap between Dundrasil and what's happening next, and coming up with this took about three weeks and several scrapped drafts. I promise the next chapter will be much better.


	46. Among Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting discovered goes the opposite of what he'd expected, but he's not going to lower his guard just yet.

When he woke up, it took him a second to work out where he was. The soft mattress and quilt were a balm to his sore back and bruises, and there was actually room to breathe. Then, when he sat up and took in the room he was in, it all came flooding back. 

After that horrible storm, the princess’s screams and the big man shouting for everyone to climb into the little boat, he thought he was the only one on board. So once the ship stopped swinging violently from side to side, he did his best to climb out, hurrying to the first porthole he saw and praying he wouldn’t see them all being swept out to see. He hadn’t, and he stayed just long enough to see them pull something from a light that suddenly appeared before breathing again. 

After that, there’d been no real point to going back under the floorboards, and he’d gotten the worrying feeling that if he had, he might not get another chance. His hunger had been given days to gather, and it refused to let him waste any time feeling guilty. That part only came later, once he’d eaten and fallen asleep on the floor, and it still wasn’t strong enough to stop him from taking more.

He just hadn’t expected the man in the mask to come back so soon.

There’d been no time to scramble back into his hiding place, even if he hadn’t been frozen to the spot. And it had taken no time at all for the man to come investigate the clatter he’d made when he knocked a box from its shelf when he’d jumped at the sounds of footsteps above. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no protection from the fury that was about to fall on him.

Only, it hadn’t. Instead, the man in the mask had actually been excited to see him, rattling off question after question so quickly he had no time to say he didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. He’d been expecting threats or demands for him to give back what he’d stolen, not laughing questions about why he hadn’t popped up sooner that faded into panicked queries over if he’d been on board during the storm and if he’s been hurt during it.

And all through it all, the man kept calling him Erik, as if expecting the name to mean anything, and the weirdest part was that it did. Not in a ‘everything suddenly came crashing back’ kind of way, but a gentle poke that told him that this was _his_ name. And if the man knew that much, then maybe…

By that point, the man had realised that something was wrong, and brushing off Erik’s apologies about the food and promises that he’d work to pay back everything he had stolen, ushered him out of the food stores and into the galley. He was sat on the bench nearest the door, the man moving across the table, and this time, he simply asked what had happened, and actually gave him time to answer.

When he finished, the man- _Dave,_ his brain reminded, clinging to this new piece of information-stood up and went over to the kitchen area, opening cupboards and draws hidden from Erik’s view until he came back, holding a plate with a sandwich and a cup filled with what smelled like fruit juice. He set both on the table in front of Erik, and gestured for him to tuck in. Erik hesitated, but did as he was told, pulling the plate a bit closer to him.

But Dave didn’t look like he was going to pull it back. Instead, he started talking about the other members of the crew, saying that they would be on shore for a few days, give or take. Apparently, they were investigating some stories that Erik had heard on the harbour, seeing if there was any truth to the sailors’ rumours. Until they came back, Dave admitted there wasn’t much they could do, but see if they could reclaim anything else while they waited. “You know your name alrigh’. There migh’ be other fings lurkin’ under the surface somewhere.”

He stopped when the headache hit Erik good and proper, holding him in his seat until it passed and he was able shake his head weakly, “It’s no use, every time I try remembering…”

“No pushin’, then.” Dave sighed and stood back up, “We’re best off waitin’ for Sylv and the others. Come on, let’s get you a room.”

Dave grabbed a set of keys from the cabin at the back, and after checking each one in turn, unlocked one of the doors along the hall. It opened to reveal a bed, the quilt half on the bed, half off and a small table littered with small, shiny trinkets and the odd dagger. There was something in the way Dave’s mask tilted towards him that said Erik should recognise this room somehow, but if he did, he couldn’t see how.

“You’re sure the captain won’t mind?”

“Considerin’ Sylv’s the one that let you in there to begin with, I’d say ‘e’d be fine wit’ it.”

And after that, he was left to do as he pleased, which usually meant helping Dave getting the ship ready to sail again. It had weathered the storm amazingly well, but there were things here and there that needed attention. He pulled on ropes and made complicated knots to keep the sails in place, and no matter what Dave said, Erik felt much better taking a break to eat now that he felt like he was actually earning it instead of sneaking around.

Then, on the last day, he came up on deck to see Dave aiming a spyglass at the shore. Erik moved to look just in time to see a blast of fire fly up from the cluster of people waiting there. At this distance it was still easy to make out smudges of colour that he recognised as belonging to the rest of the crew, and he gulped, realising that his time was up.

“I’ll fill them in.” Dave promised as they readied the skiff, “Make sure they won’t drown you wif questions like I did.”

And he’d been as good as his word. When they’d pulled the skiff level with the railing and people scrambled out to help secure it into place, not a single question was asked that wasn’t “Can you hold this?” It was only after that everyone looked at him, the silence breaking with the captain throwing his arms out wide and capturing him in a hug before Erik could make a break for it, “Oh, I’m sorry sweetie,” He said, releasing his hold practically immediately, “But we were so worried and I’m so glad to see you safe!”

The others had echoed the sentiment, thankfully staying well back. All of them wore the same, hidden concern behind their smiles though, and he could tell that despite Dave’s best efforts they were still brimming with questions that he wouldn’t be able to answer.

But it had been the princess’s- _Eliza…no, Ellie, she said to call her Ellie-_ face that had stuck out. Not because it was different from theirs, but because that as soon as their eyes had met, he felt like there was something he needed to say to her. His mouth had even opened, hoping the words would tumble out without him noticing but they didn’t budge from behind the curtain on his mind.

The captain- _Sylv, short for Sylvando-_ took the new girl- _Jade, like the stone on the cabin’s table-_ to get her cabin unlocked, and the knight- _Hendrik, the hero they had talked about on the docks-_ followed after them, leaving him with the old man- _Rab, sometimes Grandpa-_ and Ellie on the deck. Rab had looked at him with a kind smile and asked if he wanted any of his bruises dealing with, while Ellie stood back with that strange look on her face, looking out to sea with a furrowed brow.

He wanted to ask what she was looking for, but kept it to himself. They were respecting his privacy, so he would do the same.

And as everyone but Dave ended up sitting down to eat a delicious dinner (Even when it had just been the two of them, Dave had always eaten after Erik had gone to his cabin for the night), and Sylvando was gently asking where he’d been hiding all this time, Erik felt safe enough to give the truth.

The angriest any of them got was when he mentioned the magazines that had been in his hiding spot, and even then, it was just Sylvando and Jade turning to Rab with looks of annoyance while Ellie laughed, and Hendrik looked baffled. None of them seemed to care about the food he’d stolen, or the possibility that he might have helped himself to anything else aboard the ship.

Maybe Dave had been right, and he really did belong with them.

He tried reminding himself of that as he lingered at the door to the galley. Behind it, he could just make out the others talking, occasionally dropping to a hushed tone that he knew would stop as soon as he walked in.

It didn’t make any sense. He’d been alright with them the night before so why was he scared now?

Probably because they’d have moved past their shock by now and might start demanding answers that he couldn’t give, or they might decide that without his memories there was no point keeping him around. Or maybe...

“Erik, are you alright?” He turned, and saw Ellie watching him, looking like she’d only just fallen out of bed herself. She looked between him and the closed door, working out the issue pretty much right away, “If you want, I could get you a tray, and you could eat in your room?”

He thought about it, but shook his head. If they were going to kick him off the ship, it was probably better to get it out of the way now rather than later. Amazingly, the conversation didn’t stop as they walked in and let Dave fill their plates up, beyond Hendrik pausing to bid them both a good morning and waiting for the others to echo it before he carried on, “This is our best course of action, I believe.”

Jade nodded, moving up so Erik could sit next to her on the bench and grabbing two cups from next to the teapot, passing them to him and Ellie before grabbing the teapot as well, “There are risks, but nothing we can’t handle.”

“What’s going on?” Ellie asked for him, starting in on her toast.

Instead of answering, Sylvando sent a raised eyebrow in her direction, “And what time did you go to bed, hm?” Ellie paused, and he gently tapped the area under his own eye, eyebrow twitching higher. His tone was stern, but there was amusement in there too, and Erik got the sense that this was something of a joke between them, right down to who spoke next.

“She was on watch wif me.” Dave covered, “Sent you down about eleven, righ’ Ellie?”

“Sounds about right, yeah.” Sylvando hummed into his mug, clearly not buying it, but Ellie just grinned before looking at the others, “So, what’s going on?”

“We had an idea while we were waiting for you to get up. Isn’t that right?” Jade started, digging an elbow into Rab’s side.

He set his fork down with a look of utter disappointment. “Ellie, you’ll zoom ahead of us to Puerto Valor and take Erik with you-“

This was it, he realised. They were going to take him back to the docks and leave him there so they could carry on with the quest that Dave had told him about between jobs. It made sense and he pushed down the bubbling disappointment that threatened to make him lose his breakfast. They wouldn’t have time to look after him or worry about stirring up a past he couldn’t remember if her wasn’t there.

“That way Erik can get seen to by a proper doctor, and if Alizarin does show his face, we wouldnae have to worry about Mordegon finding out that you have your powers back.” Rab caught the panic before it drained from Erik’s face, “The brain’s a tricky thing to work with, especially where magic’s involved. I’d rather not go messing around when I’m not too sure what the problem could be.”

He looked to see what Ellie thought of the plan, and saw that she was nodding, but that she was biting her lip. He wondered if she was angry about being pulled away to look after him, though that thought was quietened when she did release her lip, “Will you guys definitely be okay if Alizarin does show up?”

“If we have no choice but to abandon ship, we do have chimera wings.” Hendrik assured. “What’s more important is that as far as Alizarin and Mordegon are concerned, you’re at the bottom of the ocean. The longer he believes that the less time he’ll have to think of a plan to deal with a full powered Luminary.”

Ellie thought about that before giving a slow nod, before looking at him, “It’s alright with me if it’s alright with you, Erik.”

“It sounds like a good plan to me.” He wasn’t sure if there was anything else he could say.

But before he could give any more attention to his worried thoughts of what might happen, there was a chuckle from the kitchen section, Dave looking up from whatever he was pushing around a pan, “Now you can ask the Don abou’ tha’ word withou’ Sylv pokin’ ‘is nose in.”

Somehow managing to turn the same shade as his shirt in less than a second, Sylvando started shaking his head in utter horror, but Ellie was talking before he could say anything, smirking and pointing at him, “No, no! Plan’s agreed on, you’re staying here, right Erik?”

He agreed again, and this time, he didn’t feel so nervous about it. Not when Ellie sent him a great grin, and there was no sign of worry in her eyes.

“What just happened?” He heard Jade murmur.

“I have no idea.” Hendrik answered, before returning to his breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm splitting the party once more, but I promise it's only temporary! Or is it? No, it definitely is, I don't know what I'm trying here.
> 
> In other news, I actually have a job interview lined up tomorrow. Hopefully all goes well, but we'll see.


	47. A Trip to the Healer's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serena's waiting comes to an end, but all's not well with her friends.

When she heard Antonio calling her name and saw him racing full pelt through the market crowd, Serena knew there could only be one reason for it. Servantes had taken her shopping basket, assuring her that it was no bother (probably because he handed it straight to Antonio when he was close enough), and then she hadn’t stopped running until she was back at Don Rodrigo’s villa. Even then she only stopped because another body slammed into her, and the room was full of laughter.

Ellie was taller than Serena remembered her being, and there were the beginnings of the usual bags under her eyes. Erik had wriggled out of the hug as soon as he could get away and was now standing back watching her and Ellie hug and chatter over each other. Serena didn’t mind, she’d get a longer hug later, when he wasn’t able to escape, and the bags weren’t so deep that she should be worried yet.

Ellie was still laughing when they parted, “I can’t believe we were that close to taking you along too! Sylvando’s going to scream when I tell him!”

“Where _are_ the others? Did you find Jade? Don Rodrigo said you thought she was in Octagonia. And Erik, oh where were you hiding?”

“Yes, we found her. She and the others are bringing the ship here, but we came ahead, in case that sea monster was skulking around. What about you, how did you get here?”

“It’s a long story, but safe to say I called in a lot of favours!”

“And…Veronica?”

“I’m afraid I was rather hoping _you_ would have some idea of where she is.”

“We’ll find her. There’s still some places we haven’t been, and there has to be someone who’s seen her.”

Serena nodded, doing her best to swallow back her disappointment. Instead, it lodged in her throat, and she waited for Erik to make some sort of remark about how they’d hear Veronica before seeing her, or that she was so small that she was probably right under their noses so she could laugh again and scold him. But none came, and it was then that she realised Erik had yet to speak at all. He was still sat on his chair, looking between her and Ellie with the ghost of a smile on his lips.

As if he was happy to see they were happy, but that he had no reason to feel any stronger than that.

Ellie shuffled awkwardly when she looked back at her, the joy from before evaporated, “Like you said, it’s a long story.” Erik shifted in his seat, drawing their attention again, “Do you mind if I fill Serena in? She’s a healer like Rab is, but she’s a bit more specialised than he is.”

He seemed to think about it for a second, before giving a hesitant nod. “If you think it’ll help.”

Through the whole story, from them learning there was a stowaway and them finding Erik waiting for them on the deck, Serena kept her hand to her mouth, scared that if she moved it, the lump would shift, and she’d be of no use at all. It wasn’t just the tale they told, though that was awful enough on its own. The entire situation was familiar in a way that Serena couldn’t quite place, until she remembered the day that they had met, and how Ellie had been wary of her and Veronica despite their vow. Erik was watching her with that same nervousness that Ellie had back then, trying to hide it under a polite smile and the odd comment whenever he thought one was required.

When they were finished, Serena asked the question that had been on her tongue from the first sentence, praying the answer would be a yes. “Do you remember anything at all?”

“Only my name for certain. But sometimes someone will say something, and it’ll seem familiar, but when I try thinking about why, I just end up with a huge headache.”

She sent a meaningful look at Ellie’s hand, and was graced with a small smile, “Rab and I already tried, but we couldn’t find anything that stood out. And since Erik isn’t an Yggdrasil root, my powers couldn’t do anything more.” There seemed to be something Ellie wasn’t saying, but Serena didn’t press. If it was relevant, then Ellie wouldn’t keep it to herself.

Digesting the information given, Serena gave a slow nod, feeling herself shift into the healer’s mindset. “Would you mind if I took a look for myself? Not to throw any doubt on your or Rab’s abilities, of course.” She added to Ellie, who just shrugged. “But on the chance that there is something…”

“If you think it’ll help.” Erik’s expression made it clear that he wasn’t expecting much, but he obediently sat still and let her press her fingers to his temples. She wove the same diagnostic spell that she had used on Placido all those months ago, letting her magic spread along Erik’s body in search of what needed fixing.

There were no signs of any obvious trauma that could be causing the issue. And if there had been, Serena knew Rab would’ve noticed during his own examination. So, with that established, she pulled most of her magic back, sending only the smallest trace of it deeper, pulling back when Erik stiffened, “Do you want me to stop?”

“No, it just felt strange.” He gestured for her to carry on. Taking a second to make sure he was truly alright and not just saying that, as had happened in the past, Serena continued her exploration, looking for anything that could indicate an injury somewhere. But again, there was nothing.

Serena let her concentration lapse a little as she thought about what else could be the cause. As far as she was aware, most amnesia was caused by illness or injury, all of which she should be able to notice. Clearly some extra reading was needed, maybe a chat with the local doctor.

Then, just as she took hold of her magic once more, she felt it.

Barely a brush against her own energy, but she chased after it, only to be nudged in another direction entirely. She attempted to turn back, and was gently redirected again. It was so subtle that she might not have noticed had it not been for that first contact, but now that she had found it, she couldn’t help trying to investigate further.

Serena’s energy moved all around where her teacher had said memories were supposed to be stored in the mind, never getting too close before she was pushed away by this other magic. It enveloped the entire area, no matter which angle she approached it from.

Intrigued, she pressed at the actual magic itself. It accepted her presence just long enough for her to be assured that whatever this was, it meant no harm to Erik, instead projecting an almost…fond aura, tinged with what felt like regret, though towards what, it wouldn’t say. There was also a staggering sense of age about the magic, far older than anything she had ever felt, except perhaps when Ellie called upon her power as the Luminary. But even that felt clumsy and inexperienced compared to this.

No wonder Rab and Ellie hadn’t been able to notice it, Serena thought, pulling her magic away entirely. In their search for a recent and likely malicious cause, this ancient and dare she say, protective magic would’ve slipped by completely unnoticed.

She came back to herself and brought her hands away from Erik’s head. It felt like only a few seconds had passed since she had started her examination, but from the way Ellie sat upright from her slouch, and the flicker of hope in Erik’s eyes, she knew it must’ve been longer. “Well, the good news is that there’s no curse or injury to worry about.”

Erik nodded, like that was what he’d been expecting. “And the bad news?”

“Well, I don’t think going to a doctor will do any good.” Serena did her best to explain. It wasn’t easy, when she herself was struggling to understand what she’d seen or why it was there, but neither of them raised any questions or asked her to repeat herself. When she came to how the magic felt though, Ellie’s eyes widened, enough that Serena wondered if she should pause. But then Ellie was looking away, eyes narrowed as if trying to make sense of something, and the moment was gone.

“I’m sorry, I wish there was more I could do.” She finished, knowing it didn’t fix anything, but meaning it with all her heart.

“You were able to tell it isn’t something dangerous at least. That’s still something.”

Still, Serena couldn’t help feeling the same frustration she used to as a child, whenever she encountered a block in her training. But that only made her more determined to help the second of her patients, even if they didn’t know they were one.

She grabbed Ellie the second she had a chance to. Don Rodrigo, having been filled in via a few whispers over lunch, offered Erik the chance to see if his muscle memory had been at all affected, which was equal parts concern and excuse to skip the afternoon’s dance practise, an offer he was taken up on. Leaving them to it, she and Ellie went upstairs to drop Ellie’s bag in her room, though they ended up watching from the window anyway.

Satisfied that Erik, while maybe not at his usual level, was having no trouble with the squires he was sparring with, Serena sent a sideways look at Ellie, “Do you want to talk about it?”

At first, she thought Ellie hadn’t heard her, except then Ellie shrugged, “I’m not the one with missing memories.”

“Maybe not, but if you change your mind, I’ll be happy to listen. You and Erik are as close to each other as I am to Veronica, and if something like this happened to her…” The words left an ugly taste in her mouth, and she hurried to rap her knuckle on the windowsill, hearing Ellie’s own knock a second later, “Well, I don’t know what I’d do, but I’d be glad to have someone to talk to, even if it wasn’t right away.”

It took a little time before Ellie gave in, her shoulders drooping a little but her eyes never leaving Erik as he danced around the practise square. “Up until I actually saw him on the deck, I thought Jasper had been telling the truth, and that Erik had died in a cage somewhere.” Serena thinned her lips, Ellie nodding as if she could tell what it was Serena wanted to say, “I know. At least this way, I know he’s alright, and that we might have a chance at bringing him back. If not, we’ll just make new memories for him. Until then, Erik would want us to carry on, and if the Seer did cause this like I think she did, there has to be a way to reverse it.”

“The Seer? You mean the same Seer that told Erik that he’d meet you?” Ellie nodded. “But why would they do something like this?”

“I don’t know. But she’s the only person I know who could have magic as old as you described and with a connection to Erik.” Ellie turned her attention back outside, “She does things for a reason. I just hope she had a good one this time.”

“So do I.”

That night, she would spend a little longer on her prayers, Serena decided, wishing the others good winds and safe waters, that Erik would recover quickly, and that Ellie would have her best friend back. Most of all though, she prayed that wherever Veronica was, she was safe, warm, healthy and that it wouldn’t be much longer before they were together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish to apologise for the ominous foreshadowing in this chapter, because no matter how hard I tried I couldn't leave it out. But they've made progress on what's going on with Erik, and will hopefully take some reassurance that it doesn't seem permanent.
> 
> Continuing on from last chapter's news, I got the job I was interviewed for, and am going through the induction process now. I'm looking forwards to actually starting :)


End file.
